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Remember John Evans?
Hello DCPers:
Remember this picture from last Spring?
John Evans is a Vietnam Veteran who spends a lot of time speaking truth to power. As you may recall, we ran that photo on Veteran's Day 2005 and told you that Mr. Evans had collapsed in front of the White House while protesting, and we did not know his fate. The last we saw of him was the retreating ambulance. Many of you expressed concern and we told you we would check into what had happened.
WELL, take a look at Mr. Evans now:
He showed up at Busboys and Poets last night for a meeting to plan The World Can't Wait events. It turns out that one of the people who was part of the White House Encampment had called 911 when Mr. Evans had his heart attack in November, and had possibly saved his life. So he came by to offer his support for the efforts of the organization.
Mr. Evans' story is harrowing and you can learn more at http://www.forgottenvets.com. But the highlights are that he is a diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder victim from the Vietnam War. He was given 100% disability but periodically the VA would alter that and rather capriciously, it seems, redeclare him better. The result was years of roller-coaster rides. This recent heart attack was his second one. In 1994, after the death of his 18-year old son, he tried to get benefits for his granddaughter. Through whatever mysterious processes the VA has, HE was declared dead. He received a sympathy letter in the mail, which is how he found out he was dead. (You have to hear him tell this....). He went to the bank and found out that the VA (which had power-of-attorney due to his condition and ongoing treatment) had closed his account. So he went to his credit union to borrow against his car temporarily so he could get by until he straightened out the confusion.
Mr. Evans was living in Indiana, and he drove over 100 miles to the VA to demonstrate his state of liveliness. He was told it would be 3-4 weeks until they could straighten out the files. He reminded them that he had fought for his country and he allowed as he thought it might be possible for them to give him his overdue check right then.
No go. He drove home, called his brother and collapsed. His brother went to take him to the VA Hospital but Mr. Evans decided that he was not really interested in further dealings with the VA. He went to another hospital and they performed surgery, after stabilizing his blood pressure. He was there for 2-3 weeks.
Mr. Evans has devoted himself to telling his story, which he is fully aware is common tale. He is in relentless pursuit of veterans' rights, and he takes feet to pavement every chance he gets.
And now we are off to cover:
A Ritual of Social Exorcism
Lafayette Park, Washington, DC
Saturday January 7, 2006
Noon
INTRODUCTION
This ritual is a genuine act of Christian worship. It is not another political protest, guerilla theatre, nor a macabre reenactment of a scene from a horror film. In this service we will share our deep concerns and rejection for the spiritual forces of wickedness that we discern as very real in the policies, decisions, and actions of the Bush regime. While this service may not end in obvious change or repentance by those who we believe need to change, our own transformation is possible. Healing may be experienced by those gathered here, hope may be renewed, and impetus for action may be inspired or rediscovered.
Karen,
Thank you so much for the update on Mr. Evans. I read his story the first time around and I am so impressed with his spirit.
Can't wait to hear how all your activities go today.
Bless you John Evans! Speak truth to THIS...
Analysts: Bush spying rationale legally shaky
Memo questions use of presidential power in wiretapping without approval
By Carol D. Leonnig
The Washington Post
Jan. 7, 2006
WASHINGTON - A report by Congress's research arm concluded yesterday that the administration's justification for the warrantless eavesdropping authorized by President Bush conflicts with existing law and hinges on weak legal arguments.
The Congressional Research Service's report rebuts the central assertions made recently by Bush and Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales about the president's authority to order secret intercepts of telephone and e-mail exchanges between people inside the United States and their contacts abroad.
The findings, the first nonpartisan assessment of the program's legality to date, prompted Democratic lawmakers and civil liberties advocates to repeat calls yesterday for Congress to conduct hearings on the monitoring program and attempt to halt it.
more... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10741787/
THIS IS FROM SUZ, LIVE BLOGGING THE CONYERS EVENT IN MICHIGAN. (THIS PIECE ALSO APPEARS TODAY AT www.afterdowningstreet.org)
Live Blogging from Livonia, Michigan
This is Suz Krueger, live blogging at John Conyer’s Iraq Town Hall Meeting in Livonia, Michigan.
Though I arrived later because roads were icy and despite terrible road conditions, the room was to capacity and overflowing--close to 200 people here at Livonia Town Hall and people are still coming.
Got here just in time to hear the larger portion of Rep. Conyer’s speech. He covered everything from the growing concern over the NSA spying by the Bush Administration to the pre-war intelligence related to the Downing Street Memo.
During his speech, he discussed the fact that he believes this Presient and this Administration have broken the law, and that he is calling for an investigation.
Conyers also briefed the gathering about the safeguards and governing processes through the FISA Court, established post the Nixon wiretapping era. The 72 hour turnaround for approval to wiretap at FISA can be retroactive and court review and approval can be done afterwards if time is of the essence.
Conyers said this procedure wasn’t good enough for this president, and that this President has violated rules that would have addressed both national security and privacy concerns.
(Suz will return later in the day to provide a wrap-up...)
GREAT work!
We are writing up the noon events now...
MORE BITS FROM SUZ:
Mr. Conyers stayed a little later to answer questions. Members of the audience had varying questions about the sources of pre-war intelligence and the origins of the Bush Administration's doctrine leading to the Iraq War.
To clarify, Rep. Conyers stated he intends to keep focused on the pre-war intelligence related tot he Downing Street memos, the discovery of any wrongdoing by the President in the process of NSA spying post 9-11, and if there were impeachable crimes within those investigations.
On a personal note, Mr. Conyers talked about how Rosa Parks used to attend his Congressional meetings, and how people would come to meetings just to meet Ms. Parks.
He went on to recall how his Civil Rights background has given him a different perspective. He talked about how his involvenenbt with the early days of the Civil Rights Movement gave him the fortitude to keep in the fight—to keep fighting for Civil Rights. How fortitude perseverance allowed him to remain in the fight for Civil Rights.
Delay gives up top post!
Embattled Rep. Tom DeLay decided Saturday to give up his post as House majority leader, clearing the way for new leadership elections among House Republicans eager to shed the taint of scandal, two officials said.
These officials said DeLay, R-Texas, was preparing a letter informing fellow House Republicans of his decision. These officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to pre-empt the formal announcement.
more....
http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2006/01/07/ap2434544.html
Hat tip to Huffington Post on that Delay story!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
This will be our event (Seattle):
The event will include a short talk by Bert Sacks on the 15 year anniversary of the US war on Iraq, 1991-2006. Representatives Jay Inslee and Jim McDermott will both speak and answer questions from the audience, Judy Linehan of Military Families Speak Out will talk about her experience at the recent International Peace Conference in London, and the creative Backbone Players will give an Academy Awards-style presentation to this year's "Al Quada Recruiter of the Year Award."
After the presentations, participants will break into smaller groups to discuss and strategize around four important issues:
- Legislative action and Congressional lobbying on ending the war and Rep. John Conyers' recent resolution to investigate and censor Bush and Cheney, with Cherisse Luxa, Janet Balcomb Whitlock and Bill Moyer;
- Media outreach and monitoring, with Geov Parrish, Bert Sacks and Daniel Hannah;
- Public Actions/Direct Action, with Maryrose Asher of the Backbone Campaign's Bannering Project and Bear Dyson on organizing a visit to the Governor calling for bringing home Washington State's National Guard;
- Meeting the needs of veterans as they return home from the war, with Stacy Bannerman, author of the book, "When the War Came Home: The Inside Story of Citizen Soldiers and the Families Left Behind" (Continuum Publishing, 2006)
Following the 45 minute breakout sessions will be a procession to the local broadcast media stations (close to the event site) with the 70 foot backbone puppet, percussion ensemble, and a proclamation calling for media accountability. We will visit the stations to call for backbone in the media, demanding the media report on the real news of veterans' needs, the realities and costs of the war, and the lies the Bush Administration continues to tell to justify its illegal actions.
More on Delay's fall - with video
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10704050/
Neuekonserdammerung.
new thread--worth blogswarming
"The greatest hypocrisy on this bill may come from the Democrats, who often speak as if they are the party of working people. Some Democratic senators spoke against the bill and then voted for it. One of them, Senator Joe Lieberman, spoke for it and against it, voted for cloture (cutting off debate and moving the bill toward passage) and then voted against the bill. Another, Senator Hillary Clinton, did not vote for or against the bill. Nineteen Democratic Senators voted for the bill, while 24 voted against it. These are the 19 who chose to side with the credit card companies:
Sen. Joe Biden (D-Delaware)
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware)
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska)
Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota)
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Montana)
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Indiana)
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico)
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia)
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota)
Sen. Dan Inouye (D-Hawaii)
Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-Vermont)
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisconsin)
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana)
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas)
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida)
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas)
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada)
Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colorado)
Sen Debbie Stabinaw (D-Michigan
These are the 19 Democrats who voted for the bankruptcy bill, and 24 voted against it. Hillary's name is not among those who voted for it. Evidently, she was not there or she abstained.I'd like to point out that one man who is often praised to the heavens on here- Robert Byrd, voted for the bill too.
So, why is Hillary the democrat that you blame for it's passage?