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___.COMPOSITION______In This Issue_______________________________
Greg Palast Tour Hits New York City and Washington DC
Anti-Bush Protests
Rolling Thunder Tour Gets Off to a Thunderous Start, with Help from Rep. Jesse Jackson
Jr.
Overthrowing the Telecom Monopoly: The Best Medicine for Democratic Development both
At Home and Abroad
Gore Rips Bush Energy Policies and Secrecy
Bush Says He's at WAR with Democrats - Where is the Outrage?
Even After the Whitewater Truth Comes Out, the NY Times and WashPost Stick with their
[False] Stories
Bush Signs Campaign Finance Reform into Law, McConnell Files Suit With Ken Starr as
Attorney
Fatherland Czar Ridge Offers 'Informal' Appearance Before Congress, but Refuses to
Testify Under Oath
Is Bush's New 57-cent Stamp Meant to Invoke Nazi Germany - Or Imperial Rome?
DOE Snubbed Opponents of Yucca Mountain Nuclear Storage Site
Thanks To Reagan, We've Lost Track of Plutonium Capsules
When Will Army Secretary White Resign??
More on Why White Should Resign
Send a Penny to Kenny's Kids!
Suspected CIA Front Dyncorp Faces Lawsuit for Poisoning Ecuadoran Farmers
The European Empire Strikes Back
The Middle East for Dummies
Bill Berkowitz Roasts Some Chicken Hawks
GOP Official in Michigan Reveals What Repugnicants Really Think of Women
__Greg Palast Tour Hits New York City and Washington DC
Investigative reporter Greg Palast had a hugely successful tour through the West
Coast, and is on his way East. On Saturday, March 30, Greg joins Democracy Now's Amy
Goodman and other guests at Barnard College at 8 pm. On Monday, April 1, Greg will
speak along with MediaChannel.org's Danny Schechter at 56 Walker Street in Tribeca at
7 pm, sponsored by Voter March and Democrats.com. On Wednesday, April 3, Greg will be
featured live on C-Span's Washington Journal from 7:45-8:30 am. Then Greg will speak
at the Communications Workers of America, 501 3rd St. NW (3rd and E), at 12 noon. Then
Greg will speak at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G Street NW, from 6-8 pm,
co-sponsored by Democrats.com. On Thursday April 4, Greg speaks at the University of
Iowa, 100 Phillips Hall. On Friday April 5, Greg speaks in Chicago at 3111 North
Ashland Ave. at 3 pm, then at the Jung Institute, 1567 Maple Avenue Evanston, IL at 7
pm, both sponsored by Buy Back our Government.
http://www.votermarch.org/Palast.htm
__Anti-Bush Protests
On Tuesday 4/2, protest Bush in Philadelphia. On Wednesday 4/3, protest Cheney in
Denver. On 4/20, participate in major demonstrations against Bush's War in DC and SF.
http://legitgov.org/action.html
__Rolling Thunder Tour Gets Off to a Thunderous Start, with Help from Rep. Jesse
Jackson Jr.
"US Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill, delivered the day's most passionate address. 'We
come to this Chautauqua because Dr. King was right: America has issued a promissory
note and it has come back marked insufficient funds,' boomed Jackson, recalling the
sudden shift in attitudes about federal spending last fall. 'On September 10, we were
told there was not enough money for Social Security. But on September 12 or
thereabouts, there was $40 billion to find a cave man in Afghanistan -- and we haven't
found him yet... We come to this Chautuaqua because 53 million children trapped in
separate and not equal schools, and 45 million Americans without health insurance,
deserve the same (level of) national response that bin Laden got,' boomed Jackson, as
he called for a restructuring of national priorities that recognizes a need not just
for security against attack from abroad but also for security from hunger, illness and
neglect at home.'" So reports John Nichols in The Nation.
http://www.thenation.com/thebeat/index.mhtml?bid=1&pid=38
__Overthrowing the Telecom Monopoly: The Best Medicine for Democratic Development both
At Home and Abroad
"Is universal access to communications one of the fundamental foundations of a civil
society, democracy and a marketplace driven by innovation and honest competition? If
it is, then our national telecom philosophy is outdated at best and harmful at worst.
It denies all Americans the practical benefits that would be created by new
innovations in communications, as well as the opportunities for gaining new wealth
from them. If we want to stimulate economic growth and political stability at home
and in developing nations, we must enable stronger and better global communications."
So writes Jock Gill in his new Fascinating Unasked Question (FUQ).
http://www.democrats.com/view.cfm?id=6420
__Gore Rips Bush Energy Policies and Secrecy
In another of a seemingly endless series of failures of the commercial news media, it
was generally NOT reported today that the candidate for president in the most recent
election (who received more votes than his opponent and according to polls is the
leading contender to challenge the president at the next election) gave a speech
sharply critical of the current government's policies. He blasted the administration
for its failed energy policies and for undermining a generation of laws guaranteeing
citizens an open and transparent government. But none of this was in your newspaper
or on your television news, was it?
http://www.tennessean.com/nation-world/archives/02/03/15331563.shtml?Element_ID=15331563
__Bush Says He's at WAR with Democrats - Where is the Outrage?
According to the AP, "Bush collected $2.6 million for Republican Senate candidates in
two states Wednesday, hours after signing a campaign finance bill that will restrict
political fund-raising. 'I'm not going to lay down my arms,' Bush said." Say WHAT?
Didn't Bush promise to "change the tone" in Washington? Is Bush declaring WAR on the
Democratic Party - which has supported almost every single proposal of his
administration, including 1000% support for the war against terror? If Bush views US
politics as war, does that justify using the full powers of the state - including the
FBI and the CIA - or even weapons, including nukes? Where is the outrage???
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/03/28/bush.fund.raising.ap/index.html
__Even After the Whitewater Truth Comes Out, the NY Times and WashPost Stick with
their [False] Stories
It is one outrage, writes Joe Conason in Salon, that the Office of Independent
Counsel's final report reveals that Bill and Hilary Clinton were guilty of nothing
other than seeking the Democratic nomination to run for president in 1992. And on top
of that revelation we have to deal with the grotesque spectacle of the New York Times
and Washington Post telling us that the Clinton's still deserved what they got. It is
almost as if the Times and Post are incapable of admitting that they were misled and
that they misled us. Now they want to mislead history, too?
http://www.salon.com/news/col/cona/2002/03/28/whitewater/index.html
__Bush Signs Campaign Finance Reform into Law, McConnell Files Suit With Ken Starr as
Attorney
"Opponents of campaign finance reform wasted no time in filing lawsuits challenging
the constitutionality of the legislation after President Bush quietly signed the
controversial bill into law yesterday. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Senate's
leading opponent of the measure, filed suit against the Federal Election Commission
and the Federal Communications Commission in District Court... McConnell's defense
team is made up of legal heavyweights such as First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams,
former U.S. Court of Appeals Judge and ex-Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and
prominent campaign finance attorney James Bopp...Across the Capitol, Rep. Bob Barr
(R-Ga.) announced yesterday that he and the Atlanta-based Southeastern Legal
Foundation [funded by Richard Mellon Scaife] would be joining McConnell in his court
challenge to the legislation." So reports Amy Keller for Roll Call.
http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/03/news0328b.html
__Fatherland Czar Ridge Offers 'Informal' Appearance Before Congress, but Refuses to
Testify Under Oath
"Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge has offered to make an informal public
appearance before members of Congress within the next month to talk about... Bush's
counter-terrorism budget, a spokesman for Sen. Robert Byrd, D-West Virginia, said
Monday. But Byrd spokesman Tom Gavin suggested the offer would not be enough to
satisfy lawmakers who have sought Ridge to testify before congressional committees
about the administration's plans to spend $38 billion on homeland security programs...
Ridge has been in a dispute with bipartisan members of Congress for more than a month
over Byrd's request that the homeland security director testify about the money the
president [sic] has sought in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks. Bush has
said that Ridge is simply an adviser to the president [sic] and, because he was not
confirmed by Congress, he's not obliged to testify to the body. Ridge has refused to
testify on those same grounds." One more reason to impeach Bush now!
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/03/26/ridge.congress/index.html
__Is Bush's New 57-cent Stamp Meant to Invoke Nazi Germany - Or Imperial Rome?
Al Martin writes, "Now even US postage stamps will project the supremacy of American
Imperial Power into the world. The new 57-cent stamp shows an eagle, which is an exact
copy of the symbol of the Waffen SS, which in turn was taken from the Imperial
Praetorian eagle of Ancient Rome... The stamp portrays an eagle resting on
triple-perched pediments. It�s a beautifully executed design, if one wants to portray
State Power. This eagle is man�s most ancient and recognizable symbol of State Power.
Any philatelist would recognize this eagle and any numismatist, who collects Third
Reich or Caesarian coins, would also know it... This same Imperial Eagle design on the
new US 57-cent State Security stamp will also be used for the triangular arm badges
given to those participating in the new Neighborhood Watch program... A new commercial
with Ed McMahon, the new Department of Justice spokesman, is advertising this program
on TV." Is this the picture of American fascism?
http://www.almartinraw.com/column53.html
__DOE Snubbed Opponents of Yucca Mountain Nuclear Storage Site
Just-released Department of Energy documents show that, during the DOE's deliberations
over designating Nevada's Yucca Mountain a nuclear waste storage site, Spencer Abraham
met WAY more often with nuclear industry representatives than opponents. These reps
obviously support the Yucca plan. "It's pretty evident what was going on here," said
Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV). "The administration had a pro-Yucca inclination from the
beginning, and the people they met with were all pro-Yucca supporters and they threw
in a meeting with the governor." How much more evidence do the American people need
before crying out for impeachment? Shrub is prostituting the government to his biggest
corporate campaign contributors at the expense of all else - even public safety and
health.
http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2002/Mar-27-Wed-2002/news/18395700.html
__Thanks To Reagan, We've Lost Track of Plutonium Capsules
A report from the Energy Department's inspector general has found that plutonium
capsules distributed to third-world countries like India and Pakistan in the "Atoms
for Peace" program are totally unaccounted for. There are enough missing capsules to
make a "dirty" nuclear weapon. Why did the U.S. lose track of these capsules? Blame
the Reagan Administration. In 1984, Reagan discontinued the Sealed Source Registry
program that tracked the packets.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22352-2002Mar26.html
__When Will Army Secretary White Resign??
In response to a second request by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Ca.), Army Secretary Thomas
White (who was one of the architects of Enron's sleaziest off-the-books partnership
before joining Shrub's crew) on March 22nd revealed significantly more contacts with
Enron than his January response to Waxman's original request had indicated. ("Uh, you
mean you wanted details about ALL my calls, not just the ones I made from the
Pentagon?" D-uh. Perhaps White doesn't understand the meaning of the word EVERY.) Bush
administration officials sure are an arrogant bunch. Despite the fact that most of
them are drenched in Enron mud, they refuse to apologize or even admit any wrongdoing
- heaven forbid they should go so far as to do the right thing and resign, upholding
Bush's promise to run the "most ethical government in history" (ROTFL!).
http://www.truthout.org/mm_01/4.WaxFactsWhite.pdf
__More on Why White Should Resign
PoliticalAmazon.com has extensive information about the unethical behavior of "Enron
Whore Army Secretary Thomas White". Political Amazon neatly documents his "little
White lies" and hammers home the hypocrisy of the right-wing, who pushed for Clinton's
impeachment on the flimsiest of charges yet now let Shrub's corrupt cabal get away
with murder!
http://www.politicalamazon.com/enron-white.html
__Send a Penny to Kenny's Kids!
"It's time to take a moment and do something to help Kenny's Kids, the forgotten
victims of Enron... We're talking, of course, about Members of Congress-the once-proud
politicians who have lost the steady support of one of their best friends in politics.
Rep. Tom DeLay got $28,900 from Ken Lay and his associates. Senator John Breaux got
$11,100. Senator Phil Gramm got a whopping $101,350. Recognizing the sacrifice of
these and other politicians, who have been forced to do without a steady source of
their mother's milk, we at Public Campaign have launched a charitable project to raise
public attention to the troubles of 'Kenny's Kids.' So we're calling on the public to
appropriately honor their sacrifice, by coming to www.KennysKids.org and sending them
a thank-you note for their contribution to the greater good. For every message sent,
we will donate one penny towards the cause of comprehensive campaign finance reform."
Check it out!
http://www.kennyskids.org
__Suspected CIA Front Dyncorp Faces Lawsuit for Poisoning Ecuadoran Farmers
Imagine "you are an Ecuadorian farmer, and suddenly, without notice or warning, a
large helicopter approaches, and the frightening noise of the chopper blades invades
the quiet. The helicopter comes closer, and sprays a toxic poison on you, your
children, your livestock and your food crops. You see your children get sick, your
crops die." These are the words of Bishop Jesse de Witt, president of the
International Labor Rights Fund, in a letter to Paul V. Lombardi, CEO of DynCorp.
DeWitt's organization has filed suit in US federal court on behalf of 10,000 Ecuadoran
peasant farmers and Amazonian Indians charging Lombardi's company with torture,
infanticide and wrongful death for its role in the aerial spraying of highly toxic
pesticides in the Amazonian jungle, along the border of Ecuador and Colombia.
DynCorp's chances of squirming out the suit were dealt a crushing blow in January when
federal judge Richard Roberts denied the company's motion to dismiss the case."
http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=1988
__The European Empire Strikes Back
You gotta love the way our Resident-in-Thief has shot himself in the foot by ticking
off the European Union with his stupid "axis of evil" phrase and his sabre-rattling in
Iraq's direction. Not to mention that protectionist, anti-free-market tariff he
slapped on imported steel, which was meant more to enhance his political standing in
steel-producing states than to protect American jobs. David Broder reports in the
International Herald Tribune that the EU is mad enough at Shrub that they're planning
some strategically placed tariffs of their own - on products from swing states that
Shrub desperately needs to win in 2004.
http://iht.com/articles/52681.html
__The Middle East for Dummies
"Confounded and dumbfounded by recent Bush Administration moves, once again I consult
that invaluable reference series, this one titled 'The Middle East for Dummies.' I
find their concise, no-BS answers help me through the confusing morass. Why does Bush
keep moving toward attacking Iraq, when nearly everyone except his tight circle of
advisors (we'll call them the Wolfpack, named for super-hawk Deputy Defense Secretary
Paul Wolfowitz), keeps warning him against such a military adventure? Those who oppose
Bush policy here, or Bush policy anywhere, must be fellow-travelers with evil
terrorists, the Wolfpack reasoning goes. Bush and his advisors believe they know
what's best for the world, what's best for the US, no need for Congress to get
involved with all that messy democracy stuff like debates and hearings and suchlike."
So writes Bernard Weiner in American Politics Journal.
http://www.americanpolitics.com/20020319Dummies.html
__Bill Berkowitz Roasts Some Chicken Hawks
Bill Berkowitz of Workingforchange.com lambastes those cheerleaders of the war on
terrorism who have a past history of ducking out of military service themselves. The
list of "chicken hawks" doesn't end with Tom Delay, who had the unmitigated gall to
question Vietnam vet John Kerry's patriotism when Kerry criticized Shrub's
never-ending-war. DeLay laughably suggested we would have won Vietnam if fellow AWOL
chicken hawk Shrub had been president. The Repugnicant party is rogues' gallery of
chicken hawks, including Dennis Hastert, Dick Armey, Trent Lott, Dick Cheney, John
Ashcroft, abd Karl Rove... the list of draft-dodging Republicans goes on and on. As
Berkowitz says, "After you've scanned the list, think about how quick these folks are
to pounce on anyone raising questions about Bush's war... think of the outrageous
claim by Tom DeLay, accusing Kerry of undercutting the military's efforts in Vietnam
by returning home and protesting the war."
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemId=12985
__GOP Official in Michigan Reveals What Repugnicants Really Think of Women
Republican national committeeman Chuck Yob of Michigan is facing pressure from fellow
party members to resign after claiming that women in state office are best suited to
the position of Secretary "because they like that kind of work." Yob has come under
fire from fellow Repugnicants - they claim that Yob's comments belie the stellar
record the Repugnicant Party has on women's rights (that's so absurdly funny that it
could make Shrub choke on another pretzel from laughing so hard.) Yob and other
Repugnicants wonder what the big deal is. "I think 80% of men slip into that kind of
talk, but that doesn't mean we don't support women's issues," Repugnicant
gubernatorial candidate Ed Hamilton commented. You're right, Hamilton - we didn't need
Yob's offhand remark to prove that you guys don't care about women's issues. Your
party's miserable platform and record on women's rights does a good enough job of that!
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000022147mar27.story
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