No Thanks, Enough People Here Hate Us Already

The Washington Post has a great piece up written by a man that is banned from the United States even though the State Department can't state a reason why. The author speculates that it has a lot to do with his outspoken criticism of US foreign policy.

For more than two years now, the U.S. government has barred me from entering the United States to pursue an academic career. The reasons have changed over time, and have evolved from defamatory to absurd, but the effect has remained the same: I've been kept out.

First, I was told that I could not enter the country because I had endorsed terrorism and violated the USA Patriot Act. It took a lawsuit for the government eventually to abandon this baseless accusation. Later, I reapplied for a visa, twice, only to hear nothing for more than a year. Finally, just 10 days ago, after a federal judge forced the State Department to reconsider my application, U.S. authorities offered a new rationale for turning me away: Between 1998 and 2002, I had contributed small sums of money to a French charity supporting humanitarian work in the Palestinian territories.

Source: Why I'm Banned in the USA - washingtonpost.com

You Can't Fire Me, I Quit

It seems that Colin Powell's departure was far less amicable then we were all lead to believe. In fact it seems the White House just used him until his credibility was gone and then they tossed him out.

ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2004, eight days after the president he served was elected to a second term, Secretary of State Colin Powell received a telephone call from the White House at his State Department office. The caller was not President Bush but Chief of Staff Andrew Card, and he got right to the point.

"The president would like to make a change," Card said, using a time-honored formulation that avoided the words "resign" or "fire." He noted briskly that there had been some discussion of having Powell remain until after Iraqi elections scheduled for the end of January, but that the president had decided to take care of all Cabinet changes sooner rather than later. Bush wanted Powell's resignation letter dated two days hence, on Friday, November 12, Card said, although the White House expected him to stay at the State Department until his successor was confirmed by the Senate.

Source: Falling on His Sword - washingtonpost.com

Rice Ignored Tenet On Terror In July 2001

Former CIA chief George Tenet and his counterterrorism leader J. Cofer Black pulled Condoleezza Rice aside two months before the 9/11 attacks in an effort to relay the seriousness of rising terrorism activity, but with the lack of specific intelligence their pleas fell to deaf ears. Black even went so far as to say that "The only thing we didn't do was pull the trigger to the gun we were holding to her head".

Now does this strike you as an administration that cares about homeland security?

On July 10, 2001, two months before the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, then-CIA Director George J. Tenet met with his counterterrorism chief, J. Cofer Black, at CIA headquarters to review the latest on Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Black laid out the case, consisting of communications intercepts and other top-secret intelligence showing the increasing likelihood that al-Qaeda would soon attack the United States. The mass of fragments made a compelling case, so compelling to Tenet that he decided he and Black should go to the White House immediately.

Tenet called Condoleezza Rice, then national security adviser, from the car and said he needed to see her right away. There was no practical way she could refuse such a request from the CIA director.

Source: Two Months Before 9/11, an Urgent Warning to Rice - washingtonpost.com

The Foley Chat Transcript

The following is an excerpt from on of the Mark Foley (R-FL) chats with underage males that lead to his resignation yesterday. Foley was chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children.

Caution: It gets pretty graphic.

Maf54 (7:46:33 PM): did any girl give you a haand job this weekend
Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:38 PM): lol no
Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:40 PM): im single right now
Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:57 PM): my last gf and i broke up a few weeks agi
Maf54 (7:47:11 PM): are you
Maf54 (7:47:11 PM): good so your getting horny
Xxxxxxxxx (7:47:29 PM): lol...a bit
Maf54 (7:48:00 PM): did you spank it this weekend yourself
Xxxxxxxxx (7:48:04 PM): no
Xxxxxxxxx (7:48:16 PM): been too tired and too busy
Maf54 (7:48:33 PM): wow...
Maf54 (7:48:34 PM): i am never to busy haha
Xxxxxxxxx (7:48:51 PM): haha
Maf54 (7:50:02 PM): or tired..helps me sleep
Xxxxxxxxx (7:50:15 PM): thats true
Xxxxxxxxx (7:50:36 PM): havent been having a problem with sleep though.. i just walk in the door and collapse well at least this weekend
Maf54 (7:50:56 PM): i am sure
Xxxxxxxxx (7:50:57 PM): i dont do it very often normally though
Maf54 (7:51:11 PM): why not
Maf54 (7:51:22 PM): at your age seems like it would be daily
Xxxxxxxxx (7:51:57 PM): not me
Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:01 PM): im not a horn dog
Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:07 PM): maybe 2 or 3 times a week
Maf54 (7:52:20 PM): thats a good number
Maf54 (7:52:27 PM): in the shower
Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:36 PM): actually usually i dont do it in the shower
Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:42 PM): just cause i shower in the morning
Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:47 PM): and quickly
Maf54 (7:52:50 PM): in the bed
Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:59 PM): i get up at 530 and am outta the house by 610
Xxxxxxxxx (7:53:03 PM): eh ya
Maf54 (7:53:24 PM): on your back
Xxxxxxxxx (7:53:30 PM): no face down
Maf54 (7:53:32 PM): love details
Xxxxxxxxx (7:53:34 PM): lol
Xxxxxxxxx (7:53:36 PM): i see that
Xxxxxxxxx (7:53:37 PM): lol
Maf54 (7:53:39 PM): really
Maf54 (7:53:54 PM): do you really do it face down
Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:03 PM): ya
Maf54 (7:54:13 PM): kneeling
Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:31 PM): well i dont use my hand...i use the bed itself
Maf54 (7:54:31 PM): where do you unload it
Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:36 PM): towel
Maf54 (7:54:43 PM): really
Maf54 (7:55:02 PM): completely naked?
Xxxxxxxxx (7:55:12 PM): well ya
Maf54 (7:55:21 PM): very nice
Xxxxxxxxx (7:55:24 PM): lol
Maf54 (7:55:51 PM): cute butt bouncing in the air
Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:00 PM): haha
Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:05 PM): well ive never watched myslef
Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:08 PM): but ya i guess
Maf54 (7:56:18 PM): i am sure not
Maf54 (7:56:22 PM): hmmm
Maf54 (7:56:30 PM): great visual
Maf54 (7:56:39 PM): i may try that
Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:43 PM): it works
Maf54 (7:56:51 PM): hmm
Maf54 (7:56:57 PM): sound inetersting
Maf54 (7:57:05 PM): i always use lotion and the hand
Maf54 (7:57:10 PM): but who knows

Full transcript can be downloaded from ABC News (PDF).

Man Seeks To Be Waterboarded To Protest Torture

This is actually the top story on Digg right now.

Brad Spangler thinks that torture is wrong. So wrong that he's willing to endure it to show people just how wrong it is. Brad want's to be waterboarded so that the video can be placed on Internet sites like Google Video and YouTube. He's currently trying to get volunteers including:

• A paramedic or doctor to supervise.
• A psychiatrist or other trained mental health professional to prove to all parties that he is not doing this in the interests of self destruction, but rather to make a statement.
• A lawyer to certify that the stunt is allowed under U.S. law and to manage waivers and such for volunteers.
• A videographer to document the act.

Waterboarding has been done by the CIA in recent years as detailed in the following excerpt from an ABC News story.

According to the sources, CIA officers who subjected themselves to the water boarding technique lasted an average of 14 seconds before caving in. They said al Qaeda's toughest prisoner, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, won the admiration of interrogators when he was able to last between two and two-and-a-half minutes before begging to confess.

-- ABC News

This guy definitely has the guts to stand up for what he believes.

This shit can not be allowed to stand. It’s morally wrong and can not be tolerated by any who consider themselves fundamentally in line with the libertarian values of the American Revolution and the long-standing if nonetheless imperfect American commitment to simple human decency.

-- Brad Spangler

Source: BradSpangler.com » Blog Archive » Help waterboard Brad Spangler to stop torture

Digging The Constitution of the United States of America

This was pretty funny. Someone submitted the Constitution to the social bookmarking site Digg. As of right now it's been dugg 1,591 times.

The Constitution of the United States of America

 submitted by scott1 14 hours 48 minutes ago
(via http://www.law.cornell.edu/con…)

 

Why not? Shouldn't we all be digging the the Constitution so we don't here "WTF is the Constitution" in the comment section again?

Source: digg - The Constitution of the United States of America

Flat Daddies Given Out By Maine National Guard

The Maine National Guard is giving soldiers families life sized photos of soldiers in Iraq. I found this just plain weird and more then a little sad, especially after reading the end of the following excerpt.

HERMON, Me. — It was the first day of school, and distance not withstanding, 9-year-old Baylee Smith wanted to take a picture with her father, Mark, who is stationed with a National Guard unit in Afghanistan. Real daddy was not available, but Sergeant Smith’s doppelgänger was.

“Where’s Flat Daddy?” an excited Baylee asked as her stepmother, Jennifer Smith, pulled a large cardboard picture of Sergeant Smith, in his uniform, out of her Chevy Blazer and propped him on the bumper. The two, along with Ms. Smith’s young sons, Alec and Derek, posed for a picture with their Flat Daddy, who promptly fell down.

Source: When Soldiers Go to War, Flat Daddies Hold Their Place at Home - New York Times

Gonzales Cautions Judges on Interfering With Bush's Will

I guess Alberto Gonzalez feels that it's time for his next round in the spotlight. Once again he's attacking the one branch of government that the Republicans don't hold firmly in their grip.

It amazes me just how fired up they get when anyone dares to disagree with them. Just wait until their grandchildren have History homework that says their grandpa did more to stomp on civil rights then any other administration.

WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who is defending President Bush's anti-terrorism tactics in multiple court battles, said Friday that federal judges should not substitute their personal views for the president's judgments in wartime.

He said the Constitution makes the president commander in chief and the Supreme Court has long recognized the president's pre-eminent role in foreign affairs. "The Constitution, by contrast, provides the courts with relatively few tools to superintend military and foreign policy decisions, especially during wartime," the attorney general told a conference on the judiciary at Georgetown University Law Center.

Source: Gonzales Cautions Judges on Interfering - washingtonpost.com

Monroe County Democratic Party Ad

Monroe County Democratic Party Ad
Originally uploaded by david potts.

These are my local Democratic Parties endorsements from a newspaper ad.

Brown And DeWine To Debate On Meet The Press Sunday

This Sunday (10/1) on Meet The Press Sherrod Brown and Mike DeWine will face off in a televised debate as part of the USC Annenberg Walter Cronkite Award winning Meet The Press "Senate Debate Series".

Meet The Press has done these Senate debates each election year since 2002.

You can submit a question here.

If [Democrats] do not carry Ohio, they will not retake control of the U.S. Senate. --Tim Russert

Sherrod Brown Votes For Torture

I still support Sherrod Brown in his bid to replace Mike DeWine in the Senate though not as much as I did last week.

Statement From Campaign Website:

Yesterday, Congressman Brown voted for a bill that creates a military tribunal to try those enemy combatants that have been held by the government since September 11, 2001.

This compromise is supported by Senator John McCain, a former POW who fought to ensure that this tribunal lives up to our national standards on human rights.

Unlike President Bush's plan, this compromise measure prohibits the degrading treatment of detainees and specifically lists the types of behaviors that are banned in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

The Washington Post wrote about the legislation, "The compromise legislation does not seek to narrow U.S. obligations under the Geneva Conventions in the treatment of prisoners, as Bush had hoped."

Those detained have been held for more than 5 years with no opportunity to prove their guilt or innocence.

It will provide that opportunity, so that those who are innocent can be set free and those who are guilty can be punished.

The bill prohibits the use of cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment of detainees. Because that evidence is often unreliable, it will not admit evidence obtained through torture.

Detainees will be entitled to Combatant Status Review, where they may challenge their detention within the confines of the military tribunal system.

And the bill will allow combatants to receive an edited version of classified evidence being used to convict them so that they can respond without putting our national security at risk.

Congressman Brown feels it has taken far too long for a legal framework to be developed – for the innocent who must be freed, the guilty that must be punished, and our homeland which must be secured.

Source: Sherrod Brown / Congressional Update

BREAKING: Rep. Foley considering resigning - MSNBC.com

Update: Foley has resigned from Congress and obviously won't run for re-election. This creates a late opportunity for Democrats to take another seat.

WASHINGTON - Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., is considering resigning from the House in the wake of questions about e-mails he wrote a former Capitol male page, congressional officials said Friday.

These officials said a decision appeared imminent.

Foley's campaign has acknowledged that the Republican congressman e-mailed the former page five times, but said there was nothing inappropriate about the exchange.

Source: Rep. Foley considering resigning - Politics - MSNBC.com

The Fresh Clean Smell of Unemployment

Over the last few decades the EPA has studied Steubenville, Ohio very closely. It turns out that the air has been getting cleaner but it's come at a cost. The steel mills and plants that used to cause most of the pollution have gone under in recent years due to cheap foreign imports. As one man interviewed answered:

Is the air cleaner? “Yes.”
Is it worth the trade-offs? “I don’t think so.”

Sources:

• New York Times
• Blogging Ohio

Court Challenge To Detainee Bill to Come "In Days"

It's good to know that there are still some people out there that realize that America shouldn't stoop this low. When we're advocating Democracy and freedom in Iraq we should practice what we preach.

With President Bush poised to sign the White House-backed detainee treatment bill into law, groups are promising to challenge it in court "in days."

“I don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in ‘H’ that this will be found constitutional,” Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, told Congressional Quarterly (sub. req.). CCR represents a number of Guantanamo prisoners.

Source: TPMmuckraker September 29, 2006 01:02 PM

At Least They Agree On Something...

Ohio's two senatorial candidates seems to have gotten over their differences on one issue and agree that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld might just be incompetent.

I do not have a great deal of confidence in the secretary. I think he's made some major mistakes. We clearly did not have enough troops when we went to Iraq.

-- Mike DeWine

Republicans like DeWine have realized that most Americans hold an unfavorable view of the war in Iraq and see Rumsfeld as a way to distance themselves from the issue without attacking the President and his policies directly.

If Donald Rumsfeld had your job as a TV reporter or had the job of a teacher in Kettering or the job of as a clerk in a Costco in Montgomery County, he would have lost his job by now.

-- Sherrod Brown

Democrats have to resist the impulse to charge the Iraq issue to avoid falling into the whole "soft on terror" trap the Republicans have set. Instead we have to slowly circumvent these traps and steadily gnaw away at their support in a race against time. Rumsfeld's failed policies and weakened position among Republicans make him a good first target.

Source: WTOV 9

Suicide Rate Drops For Both Young And Old

A new study shows that suicide rates are dropping for the young and old, though for people 25 to 64 years old the rate remains unchanged.

Read More

Washington Post Gets In Depth With Ohio's 6th District

The Washington Post has a new feature on Ohio's 6th Congressional district up as part of their "Ohio River Ramble" series. The article does a great job of capturing the surprisingly apathetic mood in which the candidates are treating this so-called battleground.

Things started out pretty big when Charlie Wilson wasn't on the primary ballot, but since his write-in win I can't remember having seen a single television ad.

Read More

Register To Vote In Ohio

Just a friendly reminder that Ohioans need to register to vote by October 10th to be allowed to vote in the November election.

Also I'd like to remind people that this election voters will be required to have a valid form of identification.

R.C. 3503.28(A)(1)(6)

Voters must bring identification to the polls in order to verify identity. Identification may include a current and valid photo identification, a military identification that shows the voter’s name and current address, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than this reminder or a voter registration notification, that shows the voter’s name and current address. Voters who do not provide one of these documents will still be able to vote by providing the last four digits of the voter’s social security number and by casting a provisional ballot. Voters who do not have any of the above forms of identification, including a social security number, will still be able to vote by signing an affirmation swearing to the voter’s identity under penalty of election falsification and by casting a provisional ballot.

 

Register to vote

Cleveland Loses Bid For Republican National Convention

The Republican Party has picked the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul to host the 2008 Republican National Convention.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican Party on Wednesday selected Minneapolis-St. Paul to host its 2008 national convention, where delegates will pick the party's candidate to succeed President George W. Bush.

The party's site selection committee chose Minnesota's Twin Cities over finalists Cleveland, Ohio, and Tampa, Florida, and New York, site of the 2004 convention that nominated Bush for a second term.

The convention will be held in the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul, a hockey and basketball arena built when Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota was the city's mayor.

-- Reuters

Ohio Democratic Party Launches New Site

In the run up to the November election, the Ohio Democratic Party has launched a new website called Paint Ohio Blue.

Ironically the painted Ohio logo is very similar to my initial choice for a logo for this blog but I eventually settled on the red-blue gradient design currently in use.

I Hope This Works...

After about three hours of frustration (with a headache that probably caused the whole thing) I think I finally have the new version of Windows Live Writer up and running with Blogger Beta.

I'm still not 100% sure how everything will work (mainly tags) but if this post actually works it'll be a step in the right direction.

Quote of the Moment: 9/26/06

Helen Thomas is perhaps the most famous member of the White House Press Corp and today's quote is a question she asked President Bush earlier this year.

I'd like to ask you, Mr. President, your decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis, wounds of Americans and Iraqis for a lifetime. Every reason given, publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is: Why did you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House, from your Cabinet -- your Cabinet officers, intelligence people, and so forth -- what was your real reason? You have said it wasn't oil -- quest for oil, it hasn't been Israel, or anything else. What was it?

-- Helen Thomas
3/21/06

Six years ago I had the pleasure (though I was a little naive at the time) of hearing her speak at my sisters graduation from Ohio University. While I can't really remember much of what she said, I do remember her speech being the highlight of the ceremony.

National Education Association Says Strickland "One to Watch"

NEA Today, the publication of the National Education Association, featured Ted Strickland in it's October 2006 edition. The article went over 7 current state Governors, ranking 5 as "good" and 2 as "bad". Ted Strickland, the only non-governor mentioned, appeared at the end with the label "One to Watch" and the following positive comment.

Ohio U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland

TWO WORDS: OEA alum

THREE ISSUES:

1) WHO HE IS: Strickland is a psychologist and minister who has worked in state colleges, prisons, and church youth homes —"always dealing with the needs of people," says Pam Smith, a reading specialist from Jackson, Ohio. That makes him a listener. "He's been in [my classroom]," Smith says. That kind of sensible approach has informed his efforts on Capitol Hill, where he recently introduced an NCLB reform bill to eliminate its single-test severity.

2) WHAT HE SAYS: Strickland has called for an additional $50 million a year for early childhood programs and an "Ohio Knowledge Bank" to fund college savings accounts; with state money.

3) HIS OPPONENT: Strickland faces Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell —the man accused of suppressing votes in the 2004 election while serving as state co-chair of the Bush campaign. Blackwell claims the "65 Percent Solution" will solve Ohio's education problems (the opposite is much more likely) and would expand the state's voucher program without additional accountability measures. Strickland agrees with neither. Need we say more?

THE LAST WORDS: "Ted's an honest person," Smith says.

It seems teachers really prefer Strickland over Blackwell.

Laura Bush To Campaign For Padgett

I can't find to much on this right now, but I'll post more as I find it.

First Lady Laura Bush was in Ohio on Tuesday to raise money for Republican candidate Joy Padgett.

Bush will be the star attraction at a luncheon fundraiser for Padgett at the historic Granville Inn in central Ohio.

-- WTOV 9

New Poll: Should Bob Ney Step Down?

I put up a new poll that has a little bit more to do with local politics.

Should disgraced Congressman Bob Ney (R-OH) step down?

Yes No

Create Free Polls

It Will Look Like Just A Comma...

I like to tell people when the final history is written on Iraq, it will look like just a comma...

-- George W. Bush

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How dare you call these 2,687 American soldiers lives lost in an unjustified war a comma.

AvoidTheLine.org Seeks To Help You Do Just That When Voting

Jennifer Brunner, the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State, has done a great job for not even having been elected yet. Her and her staff have set up the site AvoidTheLine.org to allow Ohio voters to easily request an absentee ballot and vote before the election.

Laws have been changed since the 2004 election to allow easier access to absentee ballots due to long voting lines and mechanical problems that were reported in some polling places.

AvoidTheLine.Org is a website designed to promote early voting for the 2006 election in the State of Ohio. This is the first year for "no-fault" absentee voting in Ohio, allowing all voters to cast an absentee ballot. To request an absentee ballot, please click here. You will receive a form you can print out, complete and mail to your local board of elections to request your absentee ballot.

The site also does a very good job of staying non-partisan despite the fact that it's funded by a candidate. There's just some small copyright text at the bottom of every page.

Ohio Car Dealer Faces Uproar Over "Jihad" Ad

Dennis Mitsubishi of Columbus, Ohio has found itself in hot water over an ad announcing a "Jihad" against the car market and special "Fatwa Fridays" events with free toy swords for children. The radio ad's have yet to air and several stations have reportedly refused to broadcast them.

Read More

Ohio Races On The Huffington Post

The Huffington Post has picked up on a Columbus Dispatch article that shows Democrats may be poised to sweep almost all of the major state elections.

The Democrats haven't won a non-judicial state position in Ohio since former Senator John Glenn won in 1992 so it would be big for even one Democrat to win. The major sweep that polls seem to forecast would be huge.

Ted Strickland Featured in Ohio Schools

The Ohio Education Association's magazine "Ohio Schools" features Ted Strickland in their September issue. In addition to the cover photo the magazine features a short interview focusing on education.

The Ohio Education Association has endorsed many Democratic candidates including

• Ted Strickland for Governor


• Marc Dann for Attorney General


• Richard Corday for Treasurer


• Jennifer Brunner for Secretary of State


• William O'Neill and Ben Espy for Supreme Court Justice


• Sherrod Brown for Senate

They also endorse many Democrats for Congressional seats (like Charlie Wilson) and various state representative candidates.

Black Republican Group Claims Democrats Invented The KKK

The Washington-based National Black Republican Association has launched an ad in Maryland claiming that Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican and that Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan. Michael Steele, an African-American Republican running for Senate in the state has called the ad "insulting to Marylanders" and has asked the group to stop running it.

The spot begins with one woman telling another, "Dr. King was a real man. You know he was a Republican."

Steve Klein, a senior researcher with the Atlanta-based King Center, said Thursday that King never endorsed candidates from either party.

"I think it's highly inaccurate to say he was a Republican because there's really no evidence," Klein said.
A King biographer, Taylor Branch, also said Thursday that King was nonpartisan.

In the ad, the woman goes on to say, "Democrats passed those black codes and Jim Crow laws. Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan." Her companion replies, "The Klan? White hoods and sheets?"

-- WCBStv.com