Giuliani has new media team | By LIBBY QUAID, Associated Press Writer Thu Aug 23, 5:46 PM ET
WASHINGTON - Republican presidential contender Rudy Giuliani has a new team of media consultants with a strong record of electing GOP candidates, sometimes using controversial ads.
The team is led by Heath Thompson and his Dallas-based firm, Scott Howell & Company. Thompson, as director of President Bush's 2000 campaign in South Carolina, helped Bush to an 11-point victory in that state.
Last year, a commercial made by Thompson's firm for Tennessee's U.S. Senate race was criticized for what the NAACP and others said were racial overtones. ...
Friday, August 31, 2007
CNN Delves Into Robert Murray's Safety Record...17 Days Later
CNN Delves Into Robert Murray's Safety Record...17 Days Later | Huffington Post | Rachel Sklar | August 23, 2007 05:46 PM
This afternoon on The Situation Room, CNN ran one of their "Keeping Them Honest" segments about Crandall Canyon mine owner Robert Murray , examining the safety record of Murray Energy's 19 other mining operations. Murray correctly claimed that the safety record of Crandall Canyon was "almost outstanding, much better than the national average" — though tragically, that was obviously prior to the collapse that trapped 6 miners 18 days ago and launched a risky recovery mission that took the lives of three rescuers one week ago tonight. CNN looked into Murray's other mining operations, though, and found some shocking statistics: Of Murray's 19 mines, 7 were underground and 4 of them had accident rates above the national average. CNN specifically cited Murray's Illinois Galatia mine, which CNN reports has racked up 3,485 safety citations in the last 2.5 years, and has had an above-average rate of injury every year since Murray bought it. Murray's Galatia mine has racked up 968 safety citations in 2007, almost a quarter of which are considered "significant and substantial." Murray challenges many of the citations — but has also paid approximately $700,000 in fines from 2005-2006. Great information to have — but wow, is it ever late.
This afternoon on The Situation Room, CNN ran one of their "Keeping Them Honest" segments about Crandall Canyon mine owner Robert Murray , examining the safety record of Murray Energy's 19 other mining operations. Murray correctly claimed that the safety record of Crandall Canyon was "almost outstanding, much better than the national average" — though tragically, that was obviously prior to the collapse that trapped 6 miners 18 days ago and launched a risky recovery mission that took the lives of three rescuers one week ago tonight. CNN looked into Murray's other mining operations, though, and found some shocking statistics: Of Murray's 19 mines, 7 were underground and 4 of them had accident rates above the national average. CNN specifically cited Murray's Illinois Galatia mine, which CNN reports has racked up 3,485 safety citations in the last 2.5 years, and has had an above-average rate of injury every year since Murray bought it. Murray's Galatia mine has racked up 968 safety citations in 2007, almost a quarter of which are considered "significant and substantial." Murray challenges many of the citations — but has also paid approximately $700,000 in fines from 2005-2006. Great information to have — but wow, is it ever late.
told the White House that Bush's presentation plan was unacceptable ... Senator Levin wants an open hearing' with Petraeus,"
In White House reversal, top general in Iraq will testify on war progress | Jason Rhyne | Published: Thursday August 16, 2007
Updated If the White House had its way, the Bush Administration's Sept. 15 progress report on Iraq may have been delivered by the U.S. secretaries of state and defense -- and not by top US Iraq General David Petraeus and US Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker in a widely anticipated public congressional briefing, a newspaper reported Thursday morning.
The White House on Thursday clarified that Petraeus and Crocker would testify publicly before Congress, but their testimony will come before the report is released. White House deputy press secretary Gordon Johndroe told reporters in Crawford, Texas, that Petraeus and Crocker's testimony would not be hampered by an inability to discuss the surge progress report before its release.
...
"Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE) told the White House that Bush's presentation plan was unacceptable. An aide to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl M. Levin (D-MI) said that 'we are in talks with the administration and... Senator Levin wants an open hearing' with Petraeus," the Post's Jonathan Weisman and Karen DeYoung reported. ...
Updated If the White House had its way, the Bush Administration's Sept. 15 progress report on Iraq may have been delivered by the U.S. secretaries of state and defense -- and not by top US Iraq General David Petraeus and US Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker in a widely anticipated public congressional briefing, a newspaper reported Thursday morning.
The White House on Thursday clarified that Petraeus and Crocker would testify publicly before Congress, but their testimony will come before the report is released. White House deputy press secretary Gordon Johndroe told reporters in Crawford, Texas, that Petraeus and Crocker's testimony would not be hampered by an inability to discuss the surge progress report before its release.
...
"Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE) told the White House that Bush's presentation plan was unacceptable. An aide to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl M. Levin (D-MI) said that 'we are in talks with the administration and... Senator Levin wants an open hearing' with Petraeus," the Post's Jonathan Weisman and Karen DeYoung reported. ...
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
“Reconstruction is so rife with corruption. " ... "Don’t blow the whistle or we’ll make your life hell.’
Saturday, August 25, 2007 by Associated Press | Steep Price Paid by Those Who Blew Whistle on Iraq Fraud | by Deborah Hastings
One after another, the men and women who have stepped forward to report corruption in the massive effort to rebuild Iraq have been vilified, fired and demoted.
Or worse.
For daring to report illegal arms sales, Navy veteran Donald Vance says he was imprisoned by the American military in a security compound outside Baghdad and subjected to harsh interrogation methods.
He had thought he was doing a good and noble thing when he started telling the FBI about the guns and the land mines and the rocket-launchers - all of them being sold for cash, no receipts necessary, he said. He told a federal agent the buyers were Iraqi insurgents, American soldiers, State Department workers, and Iraqi embassy and ministry employees.
...
Despite this staggering mess, there are no noble outcomes for those who have blown the whistle, according to a review of such cases by the Associated Press.
“If you do it, you will be destroyed,” said William Weaver, professor of political science at the University of Texas-El Paso and senior advisor to the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition.
“Reconstruction is so rife with corruption. Sometimes people ask me, ‘Should I do this?’ And my answer is no. If they’re married, they’ll lose their family. They will lose their jobs. They will lose everything,” Weaver said.
They have been fired or demoted, shunned by colleagues, and denied government support in whistleblower lawsuits filed against contracting firms.
“The only way we can find out what is going on is for someone to come forward and let us know,” said Beth Daley of the Project on Government Oversight, an independent, nonprofit group that investigates corruption. “But when they do, the weight of the government comes down on them. The message is, ‘Don’t blow the whistle or we’ll make your life hell.’
“It’s heartbreaking,” Daley said. “There is an even greater need for whistleblowers now. But they are made into public martyrs. It’s a disgrace. Their lives get ruined.” ..
One after another, the men and women who have stepped forward to report corruption in the massive effort to rebuild Iraq have been vilified, fired and demoted.
Or worse.
For daring to report illegal arms sales, Navy veteran Donald Vance says he was imprisoned by the American military in a security compound outside Baghdad and subjected to harsh interrogation methods.
He had thought he was doing a good and noble thing when he started telling the FBI about the guns and the land mines and the rocket-launchers - all of them being sold for cash, no receipts necessary, he said. He told a federal agent the buyers were Iraqi insurgents, American soldiers, State Department workers, and Iraqi embassy and ministry employees.
...
Despite this staggering mess, there are no noble outcomes for those who have blown the whistle, according to a review of such cases by the Associated Press.
“If you do it, you will be destroyed,” said William Weaver, professor of political science at the University of Texas-El Paso and senior advisor to the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition.
“Reconstruction is so rife with corruption. Sometimes people ask me, ‘Should I do this?’ And my answer is no. If they’re married, they’ll lose their family. They will lose their jobs. They will lose everything,” Weaver said.
They have been fired or demoted, shunned by colleagues, and denied government support in whistleblower lawsuits filed against contracting firms.
“The only way we can find out what is going on is for someone to come forward and let us know,” said Beth Daley of the Project on Government Oversight, an independent, nonprofit group that investigates corruption. “But when they do, the weight of the government comes down on them. The message is, ‘Don’t blow the whistle or we’ll make your life hell.’
“It’s heartbreaking,” Daley said. “There is an even greater need for whistleblowers now. But they are made into public martyrs. It’s a disgrace. Their lives get ruined.” ..
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests: lowest response rate ever ,,, is 63 percent, set in 2005. highest backlog in 2006 ... inefficiency
Senate Acts, Bureaucrats Stall on FOIA Requests | August 20, 2007 3:52 PM | Mike Mitchell and JR Santo Report:
Just days after the Senate unanimously passed the OPEN Government Act, a new report asserts that information grants from federal agencies to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) solicitations remain infrequent and limited.
...
According to the analysis, of all FOIA requests processed by the government in 2006, only 64 percent received information grants, and less than two-thirds of these recipients received full grants, or grants that hand over all requested information. The lowest response rate ever recorded for a given year is 63 percent, set in 2005.
The report also states that backlog -- requests not processed at all during a given year -- hit a record high of 39 percent in 2006, even though the number of incoming requests hit a record low.
Although the government has allocated more taxpayer dollars to FOIA-related expenses over the years, efficiency in response service has declined.
Just days after the Senate unanimously passed the OPEN Government Act, a new report asserts that information grants from federal agencies to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) solicitations remain infrequent and limited.
...
According to the analysis, of all FOIA requests processed by the government in 2006, only 64 percent received information grants, and less than two-thirds of these recipients received full grants, or grants that hand over all requested information. The lowest response rate ever recorded for a given year is 63 percent, set in 2005.
The report also states that backlog -- requests not processed at all during a given year -- hit a record high of 39 percent in 2006, even though the number of incoming requests hit a record low.
Although the government has allocated more taxpayer dollars to FOIA-related expenses over the years, efficiency in response service has declined.
atest effort by the Bush administration to expand the boundaries of government secrecy: 5 million missing emails secret
White House Seeks to Keep E-Mails Secret | Wednesday August 22, 2007 1:01 AM | By PETE YOST | Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department said Tuesday that records about missing White House e-mails are not subject to public disclosure, the latest effort by the Bush administration to expand the boundaries of government secrecy.
Administration lawyers detailed the legal position in a lawsuit trying to force the White House Office of Administration to reveal what it knows about the disappearance of White House e-mails.
...
The office has prepared estimates that there are at least 5 million missing White House e-mails from March 2003 to October 2005, according to the lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a private advocacy group. ...
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department said Tuesday that records about missing White House e-mails are not subject to public disclosure, the latest effort by the Bush administration to expand the boundaries of government secrecy.
Administration lawyers detailed the legal position in a lawsuit trying to force the White House Office of Administration to reveal what it knows about the disappearance of White House e-mails.
...
The office has prepared estimates that there are at least 5 million missing White House e-mails from March 2003 to October 2005, according to the lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a private advocacy group. ...
[Bush Admin]: demonstrators - searches, isolation, shouted down by "rally squads" stationed in strategic locations, thrown out ...use local police
White House Manual Details How to Deal With Protesters | By Peter Baker | Washington Post Staff Writer | Wednesday, August 22, 2007; Page A02
Not that they're worried or anything. But the White House evidently leaves little to chance when it comes to protests within eyesight of the president. As in, it doesn't want any.
A White House manual that came to light recently gives presidential advance staffers extensive instructions in the art of "deterring potential protestors" from President Bush's public appearances around the country.
Among other things, any event must be open only to those with tickets tightly controlled by organizers. Those entering must be screened in case they are hiding secret signs. Any anti-Bush demonstrators who manage to get in anyway should be shouted down by "rally squads" stationed in strategic locations. And if that does not work, they should be thrown out.
But that does not mean the White House is against dissent -- just so long as the president does not see it. In fact, the manual outlines a specific system for those who disagree with the president to voice their views. It directs the White House advance staff to ask local police "to designate a protest area where demonstrators can be placed, preferably not in the view of the event site or motorcade route." ...
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
When will the traditional media stop rolling out the red carpet for Utah mine co-owner Bob Murray? same day documents prove he pushed risky mining ...
CNN Nails Mine Owner Murray... With a Big Wet Kiss | Posted August 22, 2007
When will the traditional media stop rolling out the red carpet for Utah mine co-owner Bob Murray? CNN anchor Kyra Phillips treated Murray like a hero on Wednesday, the same day the Salt Lake Tribune reported on documents that prove Murray had pushed for risky mining methods at Crandall Canyon. Risky mining methods Murray has strenuously denied employing, but which may have contributed to turning his mine into a death scene for three rescuers and six miners.
Phillips did show some grit at one point in the interview -- but not to take on Murray. Instead she stood strong in support of the job her network has done covering the story: "I can tell you right now as a journalist here at CNN, and our entire news operation, in no way shape or form have we forgotten what each one of those miners has done."
But no one has suggested that CNN has forgotten what the miners have done. The problem is that they have forgotten what Murray has done to the miners.
It took CNN 12 days, as Arianna pointed out here, to get around to questioning the safety of the Crandall Canyon mine, offering the chyron, "Safety of Rescue Operation Debated." Instead, the network has given endless air time to Murray and Richard Stickler, Bush's mine safety czar, who has offered more protection to the mining industry than to coal miners.
Phillips had the chance to ask Murray the kinds of questions that could expose dangerous mining practices -- and possibly save lives in the future. Instead, she let the interview become yet another opportunity for Murray to buff his image as the grieving surrogate father of the miners that were killed under his supervision. ...
When will the traditional media stop rolling out the red carpet for Utah mine co-owner Bob Murray? CNN anchor Kyra Phillips treated Murray like a hero on Wednesday, the same day the Salt Lake Tribune reported on documents that prove Murray had pushed for risky mining methods at Crandall Canyon. Risky mining methods Murray has strenuously denied employing, but which may have contributed to turning his mine into a death scene for three rescuers and six miners.
Phillips did show some grit at one point in the interview -- but not to take on Murray. Instead she stood strong in support of the job her network has done covering the story: "I can tell you right now as a journalist here at CNN, and our entire news operation, in no way shape or form have we forgotten what each one of those miners has done."
But no one has suggested that CNN has forgotten what the miners have done. The problem is that they have forgotten what Murray has done to the miners.
It took CNN 12 days, as Arianna pointed out here, to get around to questioning the safety of the Crandall Canyon mine, offering the chyron, "Safety of Rescue Operation Debated." Instead, the network has given endless air time to Murray and Richard Stickler, Bush's mine safety czar, who has offered more protection to the mining industry than to coal miners.
Phillips had the chance to ask Murray the kinds of questions that could expose dangerous mining practices -- and possibly save lives in the future. Instead, she let the interview become yet another opportunity for Murray to buff his image as the grieving surrogate father of the miners that were killed under his supervision. ...
Saturday, August 18, 2007
U.S. Media Ignores Estimate of 1 Million Iraqi Deaths
U.S. Media Ignores Estimate of 1 Million Iraqi Deaths | By Robert Naiman | Aug 17, 2007, 19:37
Yesterday a radio interviewer in South Africa asked me what had been the response of the "mainstream media in the United States" to Just Foreign Policy's ongoing estimate of the Iraqi death toll from the U.S. invasion and occupation, which on Thursday crossed the one million mark.
Sadly, I had to report that it has been ignored by mainstream media, even the wire services. But this is hardly surprising. A main motivation for constructing the web counter was to keep the "Lancet study" alive. The "Lancet study," you'll recall, was a study published last fall in the British medical journal The Lancet, which estimated that more than 600,000 Iraqis had had been killed as a result of the invasion as of July 2006. The media largely buried the Lancet study when it was published - and have largely ignored the question of the overall death toll from the U.S. invasion - so it's little surprise that they have ignored our attempt to shine a light on this question. ...
...
Note that the number we focus on is the Lancet estimate of excess deaths due to violence. Thus, we understate the death toll by ignoring, say, increased deaths due to cholera which could be attributed, at least in part, to the destruction resulting from the U.S. invasion and occupation. ...
Yesterday a radio interviewer in South Africa asked me what had been the response of the "mainstream media in the United States" to Just Foreign Policy's ongoing estimate of the Iraqi death toll from the U.S. invasion and occupation, which on Thursday crossed the one million mark.
Sadly, I had to report that it has been ignored by mainstream media, even the wire services. But this is hardly surprising. A main motivation for constructing the web counter was to keep the "Lancet study" alive. The "Lancet study," you'll recall, was a study published last fall in the British medical journal The Lancet, which estimated that more than 600,000 Iraqis had had been killed as a result of the invasion as of July 2006. The media largely buried the Lancet study when it was published - and have largely ignored the question of the overall death toll from the U.S. invasion - so it's little surprise that they have ignored our attempt to shine a light on this question. ...
...
Note that the number we focus on is the Lancet estimate of excess deaths due to violence. Thus, we understate the death toll by ignoring, say, increased deaths due to cholera which could be attributed, at least in part, to the destruction resulting from the U.S. invasion and occupation. ...
Thursday, August 16, 2007
CIA and FBI computers have edited entries in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia on topics including the Iraq war and the Guantanamo prison ...
CIA, FBI computers used for Wikipedia edits | By Randall Mikkelsen Thu Aug 16, 6:43 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People using CIA and FBI computers have edited entries in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia on topics including the Iraq war and the Guantanamo prison, according to a new tracing program.
The changes may violate Wikipedia's conflict-of-interest guidelines, a spokeswoman for the site said on Thursday.
...
WikiScanner revealed that CIA computers were used to edit an entry on the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. A graphic on casualties was edited to add that many figures were estimated and were not broken down by class. ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People using CIA and FBI computers have edited entries in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia on topics including the Iraq war and the Guantanamo prison, according to a new tracing program.
The changes may violate Wikipedia's conflict-of-interest guidelines, a spokeswoman for the site said on Thursday.
...
WikiScanner revealed that CIA computers were used to edit an entry on the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. A graphic on casualties was edited to add that many figures were estimated and were not broken down by class. ...
Following synonyms for incursion: raid, night raid, attack, sortie, invasion, storming. Has Ms. Gradstein ... desribe Israeli raids in these terms?
August 15, 2007 | NPR Watch | When Will Linda Gradstein Go to Gaza? | By FELICE PACE
This morning (August 14th) we once again had to listen to a report about an Israeli raid into Gaza reported by Linda Gradstein from Jerusalem. Why is it that NPR regularly reports about events in Gaza from Jerusalem; and why is it that Ms.Gradstein, who has reported for NPR on Middle East issues for several years now, rarely if ever has set foot in Gaza?
As usual, Ms. Gradstein's report was carefully crafted to satisfy the Israeli government's desire that its illegal occupation of the West Bank, collective punishment of the Palestinian People and military raids into Gaza be reported in terms that present it in the best possible light. They must positively love Ms. Gradstein who apparently has never seen an Israeli Press Release that she did not endorse and mimic.
This morning Gradstein described the illegal military raid as an "incursion". MS Word lists the following synonyms for incursion: raid, night raid, attack, sortie, invasion, storming. Has Ms. Gradstein ever used any of these words to describe an Israeli attack into Gaza? When reporting these "incursions" has she ever pointed out that they are a violation of international law? Has Gradstein ever taken the time to interview any of the thousands of innocent victims that these illegal raids have killed and maimed?
I challenge NPR to take Ms. Gradstein's reports over the course of years and do an analysis of terms used. I did a search on the name "Gradstein" at NPR's web site and found over 1700 entries; most are reports by Linda Gradstein originating from Israel or interviews with her about Israel-Palestine issues. How often has an illegal raid been described as an "incursion" and how many times have the synonyms been used? How often are favorable terms associated with Israeli actions and unfavorable terms with Palestinian actions? Then, when you have done this analysis, publish the results. ...
This morning (August 14th) we once again had to listen to a report about an Israeli raid into Gaza reported by Linda Gradstein from Jerusalem. Why is it that NPR regularly reports about events in Gaza from Jerusalem; and why is it that Ms.Gradstein, who has reported for NPR on Middle East issues for several years now, rarely if ever has set foot in Gaza?
As usual, Ms. Gradstein's report was carefully crafted to satisfy the Israeli government's desire that its illegal occupation of the West Bank, collective punishment of the Palestinian People and military raids into Gaza be reported in terms that present it in the best possible light. They must positively love Ms. Gradstein who apparently has never seen an Israeli Press Release that she did not endorse and mimic.
This morning Gradstein described the illegal military raid as an "incursion". MS Word lists the following synonyms for incursion: raid, night raid, attack, sortie, invasion, storming. Has Ms. Gradstein ever used any of these words to describe an Israeli attack into Gaza? When reporting these "incursions" has she ever pointed out that they are a violation of international law? Has Gradstein ever taken the time to interview any of the thousands of innocent victims that these illegal raids have killed and maimed?
I challenge NPR to take Ms. Gradstein's reports over the course of years and do an analysis of terms used. I did a search on the name "Gradstein" at NPR's web site and found over 1700 entries; most are reports by Linda Gradstein originating from Israel or interviews with her about Israel-Palestine issues. How often has an illegal raid been described as an "incursion" and how many times have the synonyms been used? How often are favorable terms associated with Israeli actions and unfavorable terms with Palestinian actions? Then, when you have done this analysis, publish the results. ...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
More than half of Americans say US news organizations are politically biased, inaccurate, don't care ...
US public sees news media as biased, inaccurate, uncaring: poll | Published: Thursday August 9, 2007 | AFP
More than half of Americans say US news organizations are politically biased, inaccurate, and don't care about the people they report on, a poll published Thursday showed.
And poll respondents who use the Internet as their main source of news -- roughly one quarter of all Americans -- were even harsher with their criticism, the poll conducted by the Pew Research Center said.
More than two-thirds of the Internet users said they felt that news organizations don't care about the people they report on; 59 percent said their reporting was inaccurate; and 64 percent they were politically biased.
More than half -- 53 percent -- of Internet users also faulted the news organizations for "failing to stand up for America".
Among those who get their news from newspapers and television, criticism of the news organizations was up to 20 percentage points lower than among Internet news audiences, who tend to be younger and better educated than the public as a whole, according to Pew. ...
More than half of Americans say US news organizations are politically biased, inaccurate, and don't care about the people they report on, a poll published Thursday showed.
And poll respondents who use the Internet as their main source of news -- roughly one quarter of all Americans -- were even harsher with their criticism, the poll conducted by the Pew Research Center said.
More than two-thirds of the Internet users said they felt that news organizations don't care about the people they report on; 59 percent said their reporting was inaccurate; and 64 percent they were politically biased.
More than half -- 53 percent -- of Internet users also faulted the news organizations for "failing to stand up for America".
Among those who get their news from newspapers and television, criticism of the news organizations was up to 20 percentage points lower than among Internet news audiences, who tend to be younger and better educated than the public as a whole, according to Pew. ...
being kept out ... because he is a Muslim who has been vocal critic in South Africa of the U.S. war in Iraq
Aug. 13 | Sociologists and ACLU Blast Visa Denial
One of South Africa’s top social scientists was unable to give a scheduled talk Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, in New York, because U.S. officials refused to act on his visa application. By refusing to act (as opposed to rejecting the application), authorities made it difficult to determine exactly why Adam Habib could not get to the United States. In October, while holding a visa, he was turned back at John F. Kennedy International Airport when he arrived for a series of scholarly meetings in the United States.
Habib has previously entered and left the United States for education and scholarly purposes without event — he earned his Ph.D. at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Leaders of the sociology group, along with the American Civil Liberties Union, denounced the government for making it impossible for Habib to travel to the United States. They believe Habib is being kept out not because he poses any danger, but because he is a Muslim who has been vocal critic in South Africa of the U.S. war in Iraq and of other U.S. government policies.
Habib is an expert on civil society and democracy. He is executive director of South Africa’s Human Science Research Council’s Program on Democracy and Governance and a professor in the School of Development Studies ...
U.S. officials, as has been the case with other visa disputes involving scholars, have refused to say why Habib is being kept out. When he was detained and turned back in October, Habib said that he was asked for hours about his views on terrorism. ...
In a statement issued through the ACLU, Habib said “I am deeply disappointed that a country like America has treated me in this way when I have done nothing wrong. If the U.S. continues to act in an undemocratic way, refusing to allow in outsiders who disagree with administration policy, it will continue to alienate large portions of the world.” ...
One of South Africa’s top social scientists was unable to give a scheduled talk Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, in New York, because U.S. officials refused to act on his visa application. By refusing to act (as opposed to rejecting the application), authorities made it difficult to determine exactly why Adam Habib could not get to the United States. In October, while holding a visa, he was turned back at John F. Kennedy International Airport when he arrived for a series of scholarly meetings in the United States.
Habib has previously entered and left the United States for education and scholarly purposes without event — he earned his Ph.D. at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Leaders of the sociology group, along with the American Civil Liberties Union, denounced the government for making it impossible for Habib to travel to the United States. They believe Habib is being kept out not because he poses any danger, but because he is a Muslim who has been vocal critic in South Africa of the U.S. war in Iraq and of other U.S. government policies.
Habib is an expert on civil society and democracy. He is executive director of South Africa’s Human Science Research Council’s Program on Democracy and Governance and a professor in the School of Development Studies ...
U.S. officials, as has been the case with other visa disputes involving scholars, have refused to say why Habib is being kept out. When he was detained and turned back in October, Habib said that he was asked for hours about his views on terrorism. ...
In a statement issued through the ACLU, Habib said “I am deeply disappointed that a country like America has treated me in this way when I have done nothing wrong. If the U.S. continues to act in an undemocratic way, refusing to allow in outsiders who disagree with administration policy, it will continue to alienate large portions of the world.” ...
Friday, August 10, 2007
AT&T's content monitor cuts Pearl Jam: "George Bush, leave this world alone"
Portions Censored From Pearl Jam Webcast 2007-08-08 18:12:42.287 Story by: Conor McKay
According to Pearl Jam's website, portions of the band's Sunday night set at Lollapalooza were missing from the AT&T Blue Room live webcast. Fans alerted the band to the missing material after the show. Reportedly absent from the webcast were segments of the band's performance of "Daughter," including the sung lines "George Bush, leave this world alone" and "George Bush find yourself another home."
After questioning AT&T about the incident, Lollapalooza was informed that material was indeed missing from the webcast, and that it was mistakenly cut by AT&T's content monitor. ...
According to Pearl Jam's website, portions of the band's Sunday night set at Lollapalooza were missing from the AT&T Blue Room live webcast. Fans alerted the band to the missing material after the show. Reportedly absent from the webcast were segments of the band's performance of "Daughter," including the sung lines "George Bush, leave this world alone" and "George Bush find yourself another home."
After questioning AT&T about the incident, Lollapalooza was informed that material was indeed missing from the webcast, and that it was mistakenly cut by AT&T's content monitor. ...
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Kent officer tickets man for 'Impeach Bush" sign ... not aware of any instance where mainstream politician has been hunted down ... or the act.
Kent officer tickets man for 'Impeach Bush' sign | Thursday, August 09, 2007 | James Ewinger | Plain Dealer Reporter
Kent - A soft-spoken teacher posted the words "Impeach Bush" in a public garden, and Kent police cast him as an outlaw.
Today Kevin Egler is fighting that in Kent Municipal Court, and the case is emerging as a free-speech issue of interest well beyond the boundaries of placid Portage County.
Police ticketed Egler for unlawfully advertising in a public place because he put up a free-standing sign ...
...
Fitrakis does extensive legal work on First Amendment issues and is the publisher of the nationally recognized online publication freepress.org. He said this is the first Ohio case of its kind that he has heard of, because most prosecutions for political signs occur when someone defaces a building with paint or graffiti, but not a free-standing, easily removable sign. Until now.
But Ohio politicians - including judges running for re-election - get a great deal of latitude when it comes to posting their campaign signs, and Fitrakis said he is not aware of any instance in which a mainstream politician has been hunted down and prosecuted for the act. ...
Kent - A soft-spoken teacher posted the words "Impeach Bush" in a public garden, and Kent police cast him as an outlaw.
Today Kevin Egler is fighting that in Kent Municipal Court, and the case is emerging as a free-speech issue of interest well beyond the boundaries of placid Portage County.
Police ticketed Egler for unlawfully advertising in a public place because he put up a free-standing sign ...
...
Fitrakis does extensive legal work on First Amendment issues and is the publisher of the nationally recognized online publication freepress.org. He said this is the first Ohio case of its kind that he has heard of, because most prosecutions for political signs occur when someone defaces a building with paint or graffiti, but not a free-standing, easily removable sign. Until now.
But Ohio politicians - including judges running for re-election - get a great deal of latitude when it comes to posting their campaign signs, and Fitrakis said he is not aware of any instance in which a mainstream politician has been hunted down and prosecuted for the act. ...
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Gore: Polluters finance research to cast doubt on global warming ... likened to the U.S. tobacco companies years ago ...
Gore: Polluters finance research to cast doubt on global warming | August 7, 2007 | BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
...
'There has been an organized campaign, financed to the tune of about $10 million a year from some of the largest carbon polluters, to create the impression that there is disagreement in the scientific community,'' Gore said at a forum in Singapore. ''In actuality, there is very little disagreement.''
Gore likened the campaign to the millions of dollars spent by U.S. tobacco companies years ago on creating the appearance of scientific debate on smoking's harmful effects.
''This is one of the strongest of scientific consensus views in the history of science,'' Gore said. ''We live in a world where what used to be called propaganda now has a major role to play in shaping public opinion.'' ...
...
'There has been an organized campaign, financed to the tune of about $10 million a year from some of the largest carbon polluters, to create the impression that there is disagreement in the scientific community,'' Gore said at a forum in Singapore. ''In actuality, there is very little disagreement.''
Gore likened the campaign to the millions of dollars spent by U.S. tobacco companies years ago on creating the appearance of scientific debate on smoking's harmful effects.
''This is one of the strongest of scientific consensus views in the history of science,'' Gore said. ''We live in a world where what used to be called propaganda now has a major role to play in shaping public opinion.'' ...
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Can One Reporter Take Down a Presidential Candidate? ... overblown "controversies" over haricuts and real estate dealings
Can One Reporter Take Down a Presidential Candidate? John Solomon Is Trying to Find Out | By Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNet. Posted August 4, 2007.
The overblown "controversies" over John Edwards' $400 haircut, hedge fund work and real estate dealings are largely the product of one reporter at the Washington Post who hides his grudges behind "fair and balanced" journalism.
...
If Solomon expected placement of the Torrenueva article in the news section, it's understandable. After all, one of his very first stories for the Post set a precedent for landing his petty and misfiring Edwards hit-jobs on A1. Back in January, fresh to the job, Solomon penned an article with Lois Romano that announced the sale of Edwards' Georgetown home for $5.2 million -- or $1.4 million more than he paid for it in 2002. Although practically dripping with innuendo that Edwards had been involved in a sleazy land deal with known criminals and then lied about it, the article noticeably failed to contain any dirt. The article basically reported that Edwards had bought a house in D.C.'s booming real estate market, fixed it up and sold it three years later for a profit. The banality of these facts did not stop Post editors from placing the article above the fold, alongside the latest news from Iraq.
A couple of weeks after Solomon reported on the unremarkable sale of Edwards' Georgetown mansion, Post ombudswoman Deborah Howell conceded that the story was controversial in the paper's own newsroom for being "accurate [but] misleading ... 'gotcha' without the 'gotcha.'" ...
The overblown "controversies" over John Edwards' $400 haircut, hedge fund work and real estate dealings are largely the product of one reporter at the Washington Post who hides his grudges behind "fair and balanced" journalism.
...
If Solomon expected placement of the Torrenueva article in the news section, it's understandable. After all, one of his very first stories for the Post set a precedent for landing his petty and misfiring Edwards hit-jobs on A1. Back in January, fresh to the job, Solomon penned an article with Lois Romano that announced the sale of Edwards' Georgetown home for $5.2 million -- or $1.4 million more than he paid for it in 2002. Although practically dripping with innuendo that Edwards had been involved in a sleazy land deal with known criminals and then lied about it, the article noticeably failed to contain any dirt. The article basically reported that Edwards had bought a house in D.C.'s booming real estate market, fixed it up and sold it three years later for a profit. The banality of these facts did not stop Post editors from placing the article above the fold, alongside the latest news from Iraq.
A couple of weeks after Solomon reported on the unremarkable sale of Edwards' Georgetown mansion, Post ombudswoman Deborah Howell conceded that the story was controversial in the paper's own newsroom for being "accurate [but] misleading ... 'gotcha' without the 'gotcha.'" ...
WSJ: "we attacked you because you are supporting Bill Clinton. " ... "He said, 'if I stop supporting him, will you quit attacking me?'
Bill Clinton: The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board Is Even More Right Wing And Irrational Than Fox News | Posted August 6, 2007 | 02:42 PM (EST)
..
"With regard to media consolidation, the rules were relaxed too much," Clinton said during his Million Dollar Hamptons fundraising marathon this last weekend.
"Anti-trust law should apply. I think we shouldn't have abandoned the fairness law; if a media outlet were pushing a particular political point of view...then you had a right to demand the opposite point of view. The airwaves belong to the public, not to anybody, particularly not to Fox News.
"But having said all that, the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal is even more right wing and irrational than most of the commentators on Fox News.
"And completely predictable...it's like Pavlov's dogs.
"The WSJ editorial board began attacking a major American corporation in the US every day in the editorial page.
"The representative of the corporation set up a meeting with the editorial board.
"And he said, 'I have brought my books here...I have never done this for anybody...I am going to show you why what you are saying is wrong.'
"He got about two minutes into his presentation and the whole editorial board said, 'wait a minute...we don't care...we attacked you because you are supporting Bill Clinton. We don't believe that a big American corporation should support Bill Clinton.'
"He said, 'if I stop supporting him, will you quit attacking me?'
"Absolutely," they replied. ...
..
"With regard to media consolidation, the rules were relaxed too much," Clinton said during his Million Dollar Hamptons fundraising marathon this last weekend.
"Anti-trust law should apply. I think we shouldn't have abandoned the fairness law; if a media outlet were pushing a particular political point of view...then you had a right to demand the opposite point of view. The airwaves belong to the public, not to anybody, particularly not to Fox News.
"But having said all that, the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal is even more right wing and irrational than most of the commentators on Fox News.
"And completely predictable...it's like Pavlov's dogs.
"The WSJ editorial board began attacking a major American corporation in the US every day in the editorial page.
"The representative of the corporation set up a meeting with the editorial board.
"And he said, 'I have brought my books here...I have never done this for anybody...I am going to show you why what you are saying is wrong.'
"He got about two minutes into his presentation and the whole editorial board said, 'wait a minute...we don't care...we attacked you because you are supporting Bill Clinton. We don't believe that a big American corporation should support Bill Clinton.'
"He said, 'if I stop supporting him, will you quit attacking me?'
"Absolutely," they replied. ...
Friday, August 03, 2007
NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News both ignored Vitter's connection to DC Madam
NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News both ignored Vitter's connection to DC Madam
During their July 10 broadcasts, neither NBC's Nightly News nor CBS' Evening News with Katie Couric reported on the disclosure that Sen. David Vitter's (R-LA) phone number was among the phone records of alleged "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey.
During their July 10 broadcasts, neither NBC's Nightly News nor CBS' Evening News with Katie Couric reported on the disclosure that Sen. David Vitter's (R-LA) phone number was among the phone records of alleged "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey.
The firefighters fight back:Swift-Hosing Rudy [Guilliani
Swift-Hosing Rudy 11 Jul 2007 11:54 pm
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The firefighters fight back: Permalink :: Trackback (1) :: Sphere It!
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The firefighters fight back: Permalink :: Trackback (1) :: Sphere It!
Unfortunately, we were prohibited from speaking to the public - or even to our U.S. senators and representatives - until after Patriot Act was rea
Patriot Abuse I Was Gagged By The Patriot Act While The Attorney General Was Free To Tell Falsehoods About It. By JANET NOCEK July 22, 2007
When the USA Patriot Act was being reauthorized in 2005, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales claimed that not one single abuse of the "national security letters" provision had been reported.It must be his poor memory that caused Mr. Gonzales to tell Congress that no abuse had been reported. What else would explain why he did not mention the reports that described abuses and mismanagement of NSLs - which we now discover were in his possession before his testimony?
I was one of four library colleagues who challenged an NSL in the courts around the time of its reauthorization. We were under a gag order because of the nondisclosure provision of the NSL section of the Patriot Act. This happened even though a judge with high-level security clearance had declared that there was no risk in identifying us as recipients of an NSL.
We were therefore not allowed to testify to Congress about our experience with the letters - which seek information, without court review, on people like library users.It is more than irksome to now discover that the attorney general was giving Congress false information - at the same time that we recipients of NSLs were not allowed to express our concerns.
My colleagues and I were lucky to have our gag order lifted eventually, with the help of lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union, after the federal District Court found constitutional problems with that section of the Patriot Act.
Unfortunately, we were prohibited from speaking to the public - or even to our U.S. senators and representatives - until after the Patriot Act was reauthorized.
When the USA Patriot Act was being reauthorized in 2005, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales claimed that not one single abuse of the "national security letters" provision had been reported.It must be his poor memory that caused Mr. Gonzales to tell Congress that no abuse had been reported. What else would explain why he did not mention the reports that described abuses and mismanagement of NSLs - which we now discover were in his possession before his testimony?
I was one of four library colleagues who challenged an NSL in the courts around the time of its reauthorization. We were under a gag order because of the nondisclosure provision of the NSL section of the Patriot Act. This happened even though a judge with high-level security clearance had declared that there was no risk in identifying us as recipients of an NSL.
We were therefore not allowed to testify to Congress about our experience with the letters - which seek information, without court review, on people like library users.It is more than irksome to now discover that the attorney general was giving Congress false information - at the same time that we recipients of NSLs were not allowed to express our concerns.
My colleagues and I were lucky to have our gag order lifted eventually, with the help of lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union, after the federal District Court found constitutional problems with that section of the Patriot Act.
Unfortunately, we were prohibited from speaking to the public - or even to our U.S. senators and representatives - until after the Patriot Act was reauthorized.
Without the requirement to spend huge amounts of money to access instant mass audiences, candidates could instead focus on issues of concern to people
Treating Money as Free Speech By Nolan Bowie The Boston Globe Monday 16 July 2007
Money, by definition, is a medium that can be exchanged for goods and services and is used as a measure of their values in the market. We are taught that the value of some things, such as our integrity as individuals, our privacy, and our right to free expression, cannot be expressed in monetary terms.
But in the United States today, we apply this principle inconsistently - and generally in ways that undermine democracy and favor wealthy people and special interests.
The US Supreme Court, in its 1976 decision in the case Buckley v. Valeo, essentially concluded that free expression can be counted in dollars. Money spent to influence elections, the court concluded, is a form of constitutionally protected free speech.
...
Other Western democracies presume political speech and access to airwaves are priceless. So France, for example, requires all media to provide an equal forum to all candidates, if it is provided to one. Free access to broadcasting's mass audiences is wholly consistent with democracy and the public interest. Moreover, the FCC already has sufficient authority to make this a condition to hold an otherwise free broadcast license as a public trust. Without the requirement to spend huge amounts of money to access instant mass audiences, candidates could instead focus on issues of concern to the American people, and the cost of elections would decrease.
Money, by definition, is a medium that can be exchanged for goods and services and is used as a measure of their values in the market. We are taught that the value of some things, such as our integrity as individuals, our privacy, and our right to free expression, cannot be expressed in monetary terms.
But in the United States today, we apply this principle inconsistently - and generally in ways that undermine democracy and favor wealthy people and special interests.
The US Supreme Court, in its 1976 decision in the case Buckley v. Valeo, essentially concluded that free expression can be counted in dollars. Money spent to influence elections, the court concluded, is a form of constitutionally protected free speech.
...
Other Western democracies presume political speech and access to airwaves are priceless. So France, for example, requires all media to provide an equal forum to all candidates, if it is provided to one. Free access to broadcasting's mass audiences is wholly consistent with democracy and the public interest. Moreover, the FCC already has sufficient authority to make this a condition to hold an otherwise free broadcast license as a public trust. Without the requirement to spend huge amounts of money to access instant mass audiences, candidates could instead focus on issues of concern to the American people, and the cost of elections would decrease.
Two senior Republican lawmakers are reportedly under criminal investigation for alleged corruption linked to an Alaska oil services company
Two US lawmakers face corruption probe
Two senior Republican lawmakers are reportedly under criminal investigation for alleged corruption linked to an Alaska oil services company.
Federal authorities are looking into whether Representative Don Young or Senator Ted Stevens accepted bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifts from VECO Corp., an oil field engineering firm in Alaska, the Wall Street Journal wrote, citing unnamed "people close to the case." ...
Government authorities arrested three state lawmakers earlier this year as part of a sweeping corruption investigation in the state of Alaska. Former VECO chief executive officer Bill Allen agreed in May to plead guilty to charges of bribery, conspiracy and extortion.
...
The Federal Bureau of Investigation last year raided the offices of Stevens' son, Ben Stevens, and seized papers related to VECO's pipeline projects and other documents, the Journal said.
Two senior Republican lawmakers are reportedly under criminal investigation for alleged corruption linked to an Alaska oil services company.
Federal authorities are looking into whether Representative Don Young or Senator Ted Stevens accepted bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifts from VECO Corp., an oil field engineering firm in Alaska, the Wall Street Journal wrote, citing unnamed "people close to the case." ...
Government authorities arrested three state lawmakers earlier this year as part of a sweeping corruption investigation in the state of Alaska. Former VECO chief executive officer Bill Allen agreed in May to plead guilty to charges of bribery, conspiracy and extortion.
...
The Federal Bureau of Investigation last year raided the offices of Stevens' son, Ben Stevens, and seized papers related to VECO's pipeline projects and other documents, the Journal said.
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