A Hero and a Leader

Wow.

Yes if anyone comes across an audio source (podcast or real player type) for the speech, it's even more powerful spoken. Please post the link if you see it.

BBC News describes as a "public relations disaster" a newly announced investigation by the US military into the deaths of Army soldiers, including that of Cpl. Pat Tillman, in video obtained by RAW STORY.

BBC Washington correspondent James Westhead, in referring to Tillman's case, describes "evidence of a whitewash and a cover-up."

"This is very damaging for the Army," Westhead reports. "[It's] trying to appear as transparent as possible."

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/VIDEO_Military_to_review_Tillman_Army_0825.html

Shays calls for troop withdrawal time frame
Conn. Republican hopes to offer a specifics in September

Updated: 11:53 a.m. ET Aug 25, 2006

(AP)WASHINGTON - Rep. Christopher Shays, a Connecticut Republican defending his seat from an anti-war challenger, says the U.S. should consider setting a timeline for troop withdrawals from Iraq.

Shays, long a supporter of the war and previously an opponent of withdrawal timetables, said he hopes to offer a specific time frame after he holds congressional hearings on Iraq next month. Few other congressional Republicans have supported setting a timeline.

"Our troops cannot be there indefinitely," Shays said Thursday from London during a telephone conference call with reporters after his 14th visit to Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

"We should be able to tell the American people what kind of timeline we can have to begin to draw down our troops," he said. "It may be a timeline the American people don't want to hear. It may not be something that brings them out quickly."

Shays has come under fire for his support of the Iraq war from Democratic challenger Diane Farrell in a race widely seen as a showdown on the war.

"I don't think Chris needed to go to Iraq 14 times to know it's a mess," she said. "To have a time line, there needs to be an exit plan. There's no exit strategy."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14513656/

(Ahem. It took far less time to find many, many links to both audio and video recordings of the Watada speech on the internets than it did to type out this reply. Google is your friend, you really should get to know it better.)

Try this link for starters, there's a lot of other juicy libero-proggie stuff posted there too: http://www.truthout.org/multimedia.htm

The same link is featured in AfterDowningStreet's coverage of the Watada speech along with some interesting followup comments on it at: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/13792

There are also beaucoup text & multimedia links to the extensive coverage of Lt. Watada and his activities posted at: http://thankyoult.live.radicaldesigns.org

And there are more links to interviews and stories on this subject, including VFP Chapter 125's own coverage, at: http://www.myleftwing.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=11197

Some other interesting & related links, arbitrarily selected from among dozens & dozens of similar ones:
http://www.airamerica.com/audio_highlights?showid=10
http://jk-fabiani.livejournal.com/
http://mefeedia.com/tags/war_crimes/
http://www.fsrn.org/news/20060814_news.html
http://olyimc.infotage.net/en/2006/06/228.shtml
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/07/1356221
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/08/344590.shtml
http://w4lk.info/home/index.php?read=3483
http://fluxrostrum.blogspot.com/
http://www.sirnosir.com/iraq_news.html
http://www.campusantiwar.net/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=128

Ironically, according to the stories about Lt. Watada in the (Washington state) Olympian Online, the military also used video recordings of this speech as evidence in the trial proceedings against him. Ain't technology grand.

hope this helps,
Otter

Otter
Thanks and TGIF!
(I'm limited what I can do from work.)

But wait! There's more!

:0)

proud to be a poster child for adult attention surplus disorder,
Otter

DiAnne, watch out, you don't want to get in trouble at work. ;-)

Posted on the blog below, will post again here, as it has to do with the effects of on-going, generational war on civilians and military and a hero. (heroine)

"The Storyteller's Daughter" by Saira Shah

Only 254 pages, I wanted more. Hidden, nearly invisible, like the women in burkas, is Saira's nearly unbelievable courage... how she was able to live through this series of tales is nothing short of stunning.

http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-1400031478-0

Be afraid. Be very afraid:

"The last thing this country needs as it heads into this election season is another attempt to push the intelligence agencies to hype their conclusions about the threat from a Middle Eastern state.

"That's what happened in 2002, when the administration engineered a deeply flawed document on Iraq that reshaped intelligence to fit President Bush's policy. And history appeared to be repeating itself this week, when the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, released a garishly illustrated and luridly written document that is ostensibly dedicated to 'helping the American people understand' that Iran's fundamentalist regime and its nuclear ambitions pose a strategic threat to the United States.

"It's hard to imagine that Mr. Hoekstra believes there is someone left in this country who does not already know that. But the report obviously has different aims. It is partly a campaign document, a product of the Republican strategy of scaring Americans into allowing the G.O.P. to retain control of Congress this fall. It fits with the fearmongering we've heard lately -- like President Bush's attempt the other day to link the Iraq war to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"But even more worrisome, the report seems intended to signal the intelligence community that the Republican leadership wants scarier assessments that would justify a more confrontational approach to Tehran. It was not the work of any intelligence agency, or the full intelligence panel, or even the subcommittee that ostensibly drafted it. The Washington Post reported that it was written primarily by a former C.I.A. official known for his view that the assessments on Iran are not sufficiently dire.

[snip]

"All in all, this is a chilling reminder of what happened when intelligence analysts told Vice President Dick Cheney they could not prove that Iraq was building a nuclear weapon or had ties with Al Qaeda. He kept asking if they really meant it -- until the C.I.A. took the hint.

[snip]

"If the Republicans who control Congress really wanted a full-scale assessment on the state of Iran's weapons programs, they would have asked for one, rather than producing this brochure.

"The nation cannot afford to pay the price again for politicians' bending intelligence or bullying the intelligence agencies to suit their ideology."

More of this opinion piece from the NYT: http://tinyurl.com/puex6

Posted by: Otter at August 25, 2006 05:09 PM

Haven't read the entire thing yet, but it sounds like the dem leadership needs to alert the public that this propaganda is coming, and what to look for, so they can blunt the effect when the administration releases this stuff.

Hello everyone. This is an amazing thread and an amazing header. Thank God for little furry creatures to provide google links too.

Well...it's official. I bought my non-refundable ticket to DC so I suspect Bush will see me coming and leave town.

So...come on and join us at Camp Democracy. AND if you're concerned about money, the airlines are currently having a price war. It may not be as non-affordable as you may think.

As they said on my favorite tv show when I was little: "CCCCCCCCOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMME OOOOONNNN DDDDDDDDDDOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!"

Man oh man, I wish I could join you there, Suz. Maybe towards the end of the month. But I'm moving into a new crib this week, one that is preferable in many ways to the place I'm renting now but moving is still *such* a time-consuming pain in the asterisk that I'll be pretty much tied up in otterknots for several weeks to come.

Nevertheless, camping for democracy, much like dancing for architecture, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one not idly to be missed. So don't be at all surprised if you see me down there sometime before the slimmage-challenged mezzosoprano chirps.

Besides, how often does one get the opportunity to finally meet someone F2F whose namesake is a 7-pound Pomeranian, anyway??

"There ought to be limits to freedom."

George W. Bush, 1999
(reported in Hightower Lowdown)

Posted by: DiAnne at August 25, 2006 08:36 PM

Please!!!! With a sentiment like that he's ripe for the Hague!

War Crimes

Last Week, in a Small Hearing Room at Fort Lewis, a Young Soldier Put the Iraq War on Trial

Lieutenant Ehren Watada seems to know his chances are slim. He is trying to convince the U.S. Army that the war in Iraq is illegal, a task that would be challenging for anyone, and is even more so for Watada, a 28-year-old officer who has, with much ensuing media attention, refused to deploy to Iraq. "He is willing to accept some form of punishment," Watada's lawyer, Eric A. Seitz, told military officials at a packed hearing at Fort Lewis army base on August 17, tacitly acknowledging his client's difficult position.

After deliberately missing the deployment of his Iraq-bound Stryker brigade on June 22, Watada was charged with multiple violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice—one count of missing movement, two counts of contempt toward officials, and three counts of conduct unbecoming an officer. It was a contentious ending to a military career that began with the stuff of Army recruiters' dreams: A patriotic young man who simply wanted to defend his country against terrorists.

By his own account, Watada joined the military in 2003 at the age of 25 because he felt the United States was in danger. This was two years after the Twin Towers had been leveled by terrorists flying hijacked airliners, a year after the terrorist bombings in Bali, and during the run of constant terror alerts and heated rhetoric that marked the build-up to the Iraq war.
(snip)
The spring of 2003, when Watada enlisted, was a tense and confusing time. The U.S. had just deposed the terrorist-sheltering Taliban leadership in Afghanistan, but the "war on terror" continued with Osama bin Laden still on the loose, the American population still jittery, and the military now gearing up for its second major offensive.

Phase two of the war on terror was a war of choice—or, as President Bush described it, a "preemptive war"—against a longtime American adversary, Iraq. Even as a surging patriotism drove Watada to enlist, he was aware that many people disagreed with the arguments being used to justify this new war. He knew there were doubts about the links the Bush administration was drawing between Iraq and the attacks of September 11, 2001. He also knew there were doubts about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction. What he couldn't imagine, however, was that he was being misled.
(snip)
"Like millions of Americans," Watada says in a recent web video, "I believed the administration when they guaranteed that Saddam [Hussein] had weapons of mass destruction and had the willingness to use them against his neighbors and also the U.S. And I believed the administration when they said that Iraq had ties to al-Qaeda and 9/11." He is wearing a plain gray sweatshirt as he says this, staring into the camera with serious, unblinking eyes.

"Since then," he continues, "I have found those premises to be false."
(snip)
His desire to defend the U.S. against foreign threats also makes it impossible to tarnish him as a "cut and run" coward—or, worse still, a wimpy liberal. And the plain, unselfconscious way in which Watada talks about his evolution over the past few years allows him to push the debate over the Iraq war beyond the normal limits—further than it has been pushed by Kerry or John Murtha or Nancy Pelosi, further than it has been pushed by the handful of Republicans now questioning the war, further, even, than most liberal pundits and bloggers have dared to.

Instead of talking about whether the Iraq war was wise, or whether it has been well executed, Watada talks about whether it was ever legal to begin with.
(snip)
The invocations of Nuremberg at the hearing were repeated and served as a rather stark reminder of how different the posture of the U.S. is these days than it was in the 1940s, when the American government helped organize the Nuremberg trials to deal with the war crimes committed by the Germans during World War II. Those trials helped cement in international law the idea that soldiers have an obligation to disobey illegal orders, along with the idea that certain wars cannot be justified—such as a "war of aggression" by one country against another country that has not attacked it. While in the 1940s the U.S. was helping to create these international norms for warfare, these days it is bending—some would say outright breaking—the rules it once backed. It attacked Iraq, for example, without the UN authorization that is required, according to Boyle, in order to keep a war from being deemed an illegal "war of aggression."

Another prong of Watada's argument was that he would inevitably be a party to war crimes were he to deploy in Iraq. Noting the Abu Ghraib torture scandal, the alleged use of cluster bombs in civilian areas, and the reported rapes and murders committed by U.S. soldiers in Iraq, Boyle said that if Watada deployed to Iraq, "it would be difficult, if not impossible, for him not to be committing war crimes."
(snip)
On the question of whether the war itself was illegal, however, prosecutor Keith could only point out that no legal or international body—not the UN, not the U.S. Congress, and not the U.S. court system—has yet declared the war to be a violation of international law. Boyle agreed that this was so. But he and other witnesses also pointed out that the UN's structure makes it nearly impossible to sanction the world's sole superpower, that no American civilian court has yet been asked to rule on the legality of the Iraq war, and that the Bush administration was able to procure its war authorization from the current U.S. Congress "by means of fraud—they lied to Congress that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and they lied to Congress that Iraq had connections to 9/11."
(snip)
It doesn't seem, however, that a huge mass of soldiers is yet following Watada's lead. In fact, Watada is believed to be the only officer so far to have refused duty in Iraq, and while prosecutors worried during the hearing that his example would hurt army morale and discipline, after the hearing, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Williams, spokesman for Fort Lewis, told reporters that Watada's actions were doing no such thing. "My morale is just as high as it was yesterday," Williams said. "This is an anomaly."
(snip)
There are signs that the administration is increasingly worried about the unraveling of its war narrative—especially with the midterm congressional elections just 60 days away—and recently, the nation's courts have given the administration even more cause for concern. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the administration's attempt to ignore the Geneva Conventions for prisoners in the war on terror was illegal. Last week, a federal judge in Detroit ruled that the administration's domestic spying program was unconstitutional, with the judge, Anna Diggs Taylor, using her ruling to remind Bush that he is not allowed "unfettered control," particularly when his actions "disregard the parameters clearly enumerated in the Bill of Rights" (that ruling is now being appealed). And a CNN poll released on Monday showed opposition to the Iraq War now at its highest level ever, 61 percent.
(Read the rest at the link - it's a long but worthy article)

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=57019

There is also an article on the possibly shifting position of Maria Cantwell on the war.

Hey, attention all you Noo Yawkers in the audience:

-----------------

A Laughing Liberally special:
Laughing with the Enemy!
3 conservative comics versus 3 liberal comics.

Howard Dean & Harry Reid laughed with us, right-wing commentators attacked us... now it's your turn.

Monday, August 28th, 9:30
45th Street Theatre
354 West 45th Street
(Between 8th and 9th Ave)
TICKETS: $10
Call: 1-800-838-3006

From the Left:

Dean Obeidallah is a Palestinian-Italian-American, the co-founder of the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival, a frequent guest on Air America Radio and the winner of the "Spirit of Bill Hicks Award."

Benari Poulten is a former Congressional Aide, a former almost-child-star, and a former field coordinator for the Kerry campaign, and sometimes, he's a Staff Sgt. in the US Army Reserve.

Katie Halper is a walking stereotype: the female comic who jokes about judicial nomination processes and economic stratification. She's also a native Upper West Sider, where 'liberal' is a conservative word.

-----------------

Hm...it will be interesting to see if the LT's defense is that he was given an illegal order. If he can prove that, then he is not guilty of violating the UCMJ.

Also he should be provided with a military lawyer (in addition to the private counsel whom he has apparently retained). What is interesting about that is that military lawyers are supposed to take the merits of the case impartially and represent their clients, whether that client be the US government or the disobedient soldier.

I would like to see what kind of arguments are put together to try and declare the order to go to Iraq an "illegal order" in the terms of the UCMJ.

From thinkprogress via rawstory:

Gen. Batiste: Rumsfeld ‘Served Up Our Great Military A Huge Bowl of Chicken Feces’

Today on MSNBC, retired General John Batiste — former commander of the First Infantry division in Iraq — said that it was “outrageous” Rumsfeld was still in charge of the Pentagon. Batiste added, “He served up our great military a huge bowl of chicken feces, and ever since then, our military and our country have been trying to turn this bowl into chicken salad.”

Watch it: http://tinyurl.com/gzjk2

Posted by: Carol at August 26, 2006 09:07 AM

That is a sobering statement.

... and remember, the Chickenhawk-in-Chief and his rusty sidekick Shooter Dick have given their unconditional thumbs up to Chicken a la Rummy.

They can dish it out, but they sure can't take it.

Feathergate.

Conservatives are blasting a column circulating on the Internet, reportedly written by Mike Whitney, former program director of the Snohomish County Democrats of Washington State.

In the column, Whitney asks if abducted Fox News journalists Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig should really be considered noncombatants. He writes:

"No one has violated the basic standards of journalistic integrity more consistently than FOX News. Their unwavering support for the war in Iraq demonstrates their blatant disregard for professional evenhandedness and neutrality. Dissenting opinions are scrupulously scrubbed from their broadcasts while the vulgar displays of jingoism and xenophobia are presented as "Fair and Balanced" coverage. On some FOX web sites it’s still possible to find articles which claim that Weapons of Mass Destruction were actually found in Iraq. No wonder nearly 50% of the American people still believe that Saddam posed a threat to our national security and that Bush’s illegal invasion was justified.

"If FOX is an essential part of the state propaganda-system which facilitates the war, then how can we absolve their employees from accountability? Doesn’t that make them legitimate targets for resistance organizations?

"Reporters are given immunity because their work is perceived to be beyond the activities of combatants. That rule cannot be applied to FOX. FOX is the corporate-arm of the war machine; a critical cog in the Pentagon’s information-management strategy. It is as indispensable to the smooth operation of the modern army as any of the high-tech weaponry or space-age gadgetry.

...

"The group which captured the two FOX employees did what they felt they had to do to address the egregious human rights abuses at American gulags at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. When peaceful means for acquiring justice are foreclosed, violence becomes inevitable."
Whitney argues that the captured Fox reporters should be treated as prisoners of war.

Cliff Kincaid, editor at the conservative media watchdog Accuracy In Media, issued a statement today claiming that Whitney's "attack on Fox News represents the pathological hatred that exists on the left for the channel because it dares to give conservatives some airtime."

Accuracy in Media claims that Whitney is "a popular left-wing writer."

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Columnist_Fox_reporter_kidnappings_justified_0825.html

Monkey
Snohomish County! Amazing!

Well the FOX journalists are being held longer, with different terms, and by an unfamiliar group - compared with other kidnappings in the Gaza. It has more of the hallmarks of an Iraqi style kidnapping. It's strange.

The right has a habit of a double standard when it comes to journalism. It isn't that Fox "gives conservatives some air time" - it is a pervasive rightwing bias.

Veritas
If you read the whole Stranger article on Watada, there is more on the contents of his defense and response to it. I clipped some parts out because it was too long.

Rolling Stone: The Worst President in History
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/profile/story/9961300/the_worst_president_in_history

We warned you... in '99!!!

War Profiteer Blackwater Faces Wrongful Death Trial
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082506Z.shtml
In a major blow to one of the most infamous war profiteers operating in Iraq, Afghanistan and New Orleans, a federal appeals court has ruled that a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the mercenary firm Blackwater USA can proceed in North Carolina's state courts. The suit was brought by the families of the four Blackwater contractors ambushed and killed in Falluja, Iraq on March 31, 2004. Blackwater had tried to have the same case dismissed or moved to federal court.

Chris Floyd | Judicial Cover for Crony Contractors
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082506J.shtml
They say that America's increasingly right-wing courts are bent on halting the forward march of civil rights, but that's a typical liberal canard. Why, just last week, a federal judge - appointed by Ronald Reagan, no less - issued a bold ruling that offers shield and succor to a small, despised minority on the fringes of American society: war profiteers.

Bill Simpich | Wiretapping in America: The Moment of Decision Is Near
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082506A.shtml
Bill Simpich writes: "Two district court rulings in the last month focus on whether the National Security Agency will be free to eavesdrop on Americans as a matter of domestic policy ... The odds are good that both of these cases will be heard by the United States Supreme Court before George Bush completes his term of office, if they are not mooted by the passage of the National Security Surveillance Act this autumn ... The outcome of these NSA cases and this autumn's Congressional vote will affect the entire future of this country."

GOP Candidate Says 9/11 Attacks Were a Hoax
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082506B.shtml
A Republican candidate for the 2nd District congressional seat in New Hampshire said Wednesday that the US government was complicit in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In an editorial board interview with the Telegraph on Wednesday, Mary Maxwell said the US government had a role in killing nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center and Pentagon, so it could make Americans hate Arabs and allow the military to bomb Muslim nations like Iraq.

Bush and Saddam Should Both Stand Trial, Says Nuremberg Prosecutor
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082506D.shtml
A chief prosecutor of Nazi war crimes at Nuremberg has said George W. Bush should be tried for war crimes along with Saddam Hussein. Benjamin Ferenccz, who secured convictions for 22 Nazi officers for their work in orchestrating the death squads that killed more than 1 million people, told OneWorld that both Bush and Saddam should be tried for starting "aggressive" wars - Saddam for his 1990 attack on Kuwait and Bush for his 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Kickbacks, Smuggling and Sexual Favors
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082606Z.shtml
A US Army Reserve officer pleaded guilty on Friday to improperly steering millions of dollars in Iraq reconstruction contracts as part of a conspiracy involving kickbacks, smuggling and sexual favors.

Anti-Incumbent Mood May Aid Women in 66 Primaries
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082506WA.shtml
On Saturday, August 26 - the anniversary of US women's suffrage - dozens of women will spend the day in a fitting way: campaigning to win their primaries. Forty must win in September to break the record for major party nominations of women.

NonnyO
Why is it acceptable for the conservative to say government did 9/11 but the liberal can't say Fox are enemy combattants?!
Crazy world.

In the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution it states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances" (Bloom p. 81).

The right of a citizen to peacefully 1) parade and gather or 2) demonstrate support or opposition of public policy or 3) express one's views is guaranteed by the freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble.

--Why then "Free Speech areas" and "No Protest Zones"
--Why media blackouts - of antiwar rallies in US & of assemblies of the people in other countries (such as Mexico right now)?

Posted by: DiAnne at August 26, 2006 10:21 AM

This is one of my favorite snips from the article. I have sent it to my e-mail list, but I don't think anybody on my list needs convincing.

Bush, however, is one of the rarities in presidential history: He has not only stumbled badly in every one of these key areas, he has also displayed a weakness common among the greatest presidential failures -- an unswerving adherence to a simplistic ideology that abjures deviation from dogma as heresy, thus preventing any pragmatic adjustment to changing realities. Repeatedly, Bush has undone himself, a failing revealed in each major area of presidential performance.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/profile/story/9961300/the_worst_president_in_history

OnCall
Living proof of idiocy -
US Preparing to Go It Alone on Iran
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082606Y.shtml
With increasing signs that several fellow Security Council members may stall a United States push to penalize Iran for its nuclear enrichment program, Bush administration officials have indicated that they are prepared to form an independent coalition to freeze Iranian assets and restrict trade.

Like a dog I once had, they don't learn.

"independent coalition"

Another Orwellian oxymoron

Check here for some photos that will put a smile on your face...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1988374

Posted by: madame defarge at August 26, 2006 02:15 PM

That lone protester supporting Bush is probably hired.

Posted by: DiAnne at August 26, 2006 01:21 PM

Maybe they can get Poland and Costa Rica to join?

Has anybody heard about this?

Congressional Election Nullified – Nobody Noticed
Friday, 25 August 2006, 10:45 pm
Article: Michael Collins
Speaker of the House Nullified
San Diego Congressional Race

By Michael Collins
“Scoop” Independent Media
Washington, DC

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0608/S00316.htm

Oncall
That is so rigged! Why do we even bother?!!!

By the way, someone just sent me the Lietenant Watada site.
It's good - he needs / deserves support. We need more of him.

http://www.thankyoult.org/

Bush still contrite a year after Hurricane Katrina

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Saturday August 26, 2006

Washington- Seeking to convey leadership after one of his biggest failures, President George W Bush said Saturday that the US government had learned from the botched disaster response to Hurricane Katrina a year ago and would stay the course in the costly rebuilding effort. Taking up the hurricane's August 29 anniversary in his weekly radio address, Bush renewed earlier admissions that Katrina caught federal, state and local governments "unprepared to respond to such an extraordinary disaster."

Katrina, which flooded the jazz city of New Orleans and wiped out virtually everything along a 125-mile stretch of Mississippi coast, exposed glaring breakdowns in the nation's emergency response system and undermined Bush's image as a strong leader in an era of crisis.

The government's slow, disorganized response raised questions about US preparedness for another major terrorist attack, since the problems centred on the vast Homeland Security Department created after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Bush said the government had reviewed its response to natural disasters "and we're making reforms that will improve our response to future emergencies."

More than 1,800 people died from Katrina. In one of the biggest challenges, engineers have rebuilt and strengthened more than 300 kilometres of flood barriers and pumps protecting New Orleans against storm surges.

But wrecked houses, displaced people and poverty in New Orleans and elsewhere are reminders that rebuilding has struggled despite 110 billion dollars in federal aid.

Bush plans to travel to the region Monday and Tuesday to mark the hurricane's first anniversary, following up on 12 earlier visits to the area.

"One year after the storms, the Gulf Coast continues down the long road to recovery," he said Saturday. "We can see many encouraging signs of recovery and renewal, and many reminders that hard work still lies ahead."

"We will stay until the job is done," he said.

http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Bush_still_contrite_a_year_after_Hu_08262006.html

Is the job-slash-mission EVER done when this dunce is at the wheel?

Wicked Rain
by Los Lobos

Rain, rain, rain, a wicked rain
Falling from the sky
Down, down, down, pouring down
Upon the night
Well there's just one chance in a million
That someday we'll make it out alive

Rain, rain, rain, an evil rain
Falling all the time
Sun, sun, sun
Sun don't ever want to shine
Well there'll be no light in the morning
Till some peace at last we find

Like travellers in the darkness
Can't see our way
Trying hard to make it through
Another day

Father, father, father
Why do you let your sons go astray
Brother, brother, brother
Why must we go on this way
There's a storm off in the distance
And it looks like it's here to stay

Rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain

Hello all!

Dick and I are on the way back from a two-day vacation, post Fear Up.

Fear Up came close to selling out at the final performance, which was beautiful, I might add. Audience members wept and cheered. We were offered another run, but would need to raise $15,000 for THAT run! We are thinking we are nuts, but...the cast wants to do it!

I drove back to DC Thursday morning and we jumped in the car and escaped to western Virginia, where we spent two idyllic days in the mountains, discussing the state of the world and future directions. Oh, and some nice romance, in between!

Now coming back, I am jumping into Camp Democracy, which is looking ever more energetic and energizing. I am especially excited about Sept. 5 when we have a lot of vets and Cindy Sheehan speaking about ending the war, and Sept. 9-11, with many authors and bloggers coming in to teach and learn from each other. Sept. 11 is looking really lovely, with music, poetry, movement, and a number of great speakers.

Please heed the voice in your head/heart that tells you to lend yourself to this effort. Everyone here has much to offer and all of us are needed, in one way or another.

More about the protest in Kennebunkport plus photos at the link...

What local police estimated were about 700 anti-war demonstrators marched Saturday to within half a mile of the Bush compound before being turned back at a security checkpoint. Called Walker's Point after the family of former President Bush's mother, the stone-and-shingle retreat covering a craggy promontory is owned by the current president's parents.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1989454

"a craggy promontory" ...sounds like just the right place for that family...especially the matriarch...

Edited to add another link to a great photo...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1989173

I just think it's a hoot that people are protesting in Kennebunkport...It's such a quiet little place & almost the last refuge for this family.

Cantwell is really coming around about Iraq.

Monkey

"We will stay until the job is done," he said.

He might get confused about whether he's in Louisiana post-Katrina or in the Green Zone.

There'll come a time, when the world won't be singin'
Flowers won't grow, bells won't be ringin'
Who really cares?
Who's willing to try to save a world
That's destined to die

When I look at the world it fills me with sorrow
Little children today are really gonna suffer tomorrow
Oh what a shame, such a bad way to live
All who is to blame, we can't stop livin'

Live, live for life
But let live everybody
Live life for the children
Oh, for the children

Marvin Gaye

At Midnight (Music by Gustav Mahler, text by Friedrich Ruckert)

At midnight
I awoke
and look up to the heavens
no star on the teeming firmament
smiled upon me
at midnight

At midnight
my thoughts stretched out
into the furthest reaches of darkness
No image of light
brought me consolation
at midnight

At midnight
I heeded the beat of my heart;
a single throb of pain was roused
at midnight

At midnight
I fought the battle of humanity, of your suffering;
I could not resolve it with all my might
at midnight

At midnight
I yeilded all my might into your hand:
Lord over death and life,
You stand guard
at midnight

Madame dafarge, Monkey
You inspired a blog post: http://silencedmajority.blogs.com/silenced_majority_portal

Anyone up for an irc rendezvous, say around 10-ish EST?

Tennish anyone?

monkey:

More like "Mission A-Chump-Lushed" if'n you was to axe me...

George Bush goes to a primary school to talk to the kids to
get a little PR. After his talk he offers question time. One
little boy
puts up his hand and George asks him his name.

"Stanley,"
responds the little boy.

"And what is your question, Stanley?"

"I
have 4 questions:

First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support
of the UN?
Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more
votes?
& Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden?"
Fourth, why are
we so worried about gay-marriage when 1/3 of all
Americans don't have health
insurance?

Just then, the bell rings for recess. George Bush informs
the
kiddies that they will continue after recess.

When they
resume George says, "OK, where were we? Oh, that's
right, question time. Who
has a question?"

Another little boy puts up his hand. George points him
out and
asks him his name.

"Steve," he responds.
"And what is your
question, Steve?"

"Actually, I have 6 questions.

First, why did
the USA invade Iraq without the support of the UN?
Second, why are you
President when Al Gore got more votes?
Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin
Laden?
Fourth, why are we so worried about gay marriage when 1/3 of all

Americans don't have health insurance?
Fifth, why did the recess bell go
off 20 minutes early?
And sixth, what the hell happened to
Stanley?"

Posted by: Otter at August 26, 2006 08:43 PM

Missing Accomplice.

I am hanging out at the irc. Anybody else?

Posted by: oncall at August 26, 2006 09:46 PM

Sureley I'll be there shortly.

IRC?

Sure, but how about dropping by Liberal Values for a few comments too. We had a quite lengthy debate on the war (and whether Bush lied) today. While we've been neck and neck in the past, this has halped place Liberal Values hundreds of page loads ahead of the previous blog I was at.

Now its time to "run up the score" and see how good I can get the numbers on that stat counter looking today before midnight.

I'm sure you'll find something interesting to read and/or comment on.

http://www.liberalvaluesblog.com/

Among the stories is one on another protest against Bush--this one at the Bush home in Kennebunkport.

What I found interesting about the story is that it was written by AP reporter Jennifer Loven who had the right wingers quite mad at her for a previoius story on Bush which I also reprinted. In additon she has a story on Bush's National Guard record which notes there was no record of him performing his service in Alabama.

I found President Bush's favorite web site.

http://www.fart-joke.com/farting_dog_harmonics.htm

Yes tried IRC but once again it stopped working - the whole site - on that computer. Certainly wierd.

Posted by: Ron Chusid at August 26, 2006 10:25 PM

Ron,

I have visited your site several times. Very nice site and user friendly (even for an apple aficionado). You do seem to find stories that we don't hear much about.

I'm alone in the IRC...looking for the heart of Saturday night...

Did you find it? ;) !!

Ron Chusid
Cool site

Morning!

Madame, we were in the IRC until about 11:30, I think--and we MISSED you!

Today I am working on a new front page for the site (the current one is a little out-of-date!) and working on a press conference Tuesday for Camp Democracy:

Press Conference August 29th

Movements for Peace, Katrina Recovery, Immigrants' Rights, Women's Rights, Labor Rights, Environmental Sanity, Electoral Reform, and Impeachment Plan Joint Encampment in Washington

WHAT: Press conference announcing a unique approach to political change, and distributing the detailed schedule of events planned for Camp Democracy from September 5th to 20th.

WHO: Representatives of a sample of the groups participating in Camp Democracy, including these and other individuals: Kim Gandy, President of the National Organization for Women and native of New Orleans who will publish a column this day on Katrina; Ann Wright, Retired Colonel, U.S. Army, and career diplomat who resigned over Iraq War; Linda Schade, Executive Director of VotersForPeace; Edward J. Elder, National Lawyer's Guild; Kevin Zeese, Executive Director of Democracy Rising; Ellen Barfield, Board Member of Veterans for Peace; David Swanson, Washington Director of Democrats.com; Scott McLarty, Media Director of the Green Party of the United States; Garett Reppenhagen, Iraq Veteran Against the War; George Ripley, Focus on Democracy; Mike Hersh, Progressive Democrats of America; Linda Wiener, CODE PINK; Clark Kissinger, Bush Crimes Commission; Travis Morales, World Can't Wait; Sue Udry, United for Peace and Justice.

WHEN: Tuesday, August 29, 2006, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET, One-Year Anniversary of Katrina

WHERE: National Press Club, Murrow Room, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor - Washington, DC 20045

WHY: Because enough is enough!

For a full list of the organizations participating in Camp Democracy, please see: http://campdemocracy.org/sponsors

To mark the year.

Into the Bonny Blue

Katrina, Katrina, wash me away.
Cry me a river and flood the bay.
Float me the hope of rescue one day.
As you drown my love I'll drift astray.

Bring history to bear on open shores.
Bring back thy fathers from distant wars.
Bring back to me The Empire I love.
Katrina, Katrina. What have you done?

On waves of memory comes back the child.
Left to die, alone in the wild.
The old are gone too, all washed away.
The day Katrina came home to stay.

North winds scream and south winds blew.
While the bayous weep, they still do.
They lay in wait for better days.
Where better dreams once were slaves.

Katrina, Katrina. Wash us away.
Kill our tommorrows and savage our way.
Change the heart of a nation in less than a day.
Katrina. Katrina. Wash me away.

Christy Cole

Nicely done, Christy.

Good morning. Sorry I missed the irc last night.

Christy, that's a beautiful poem. It's very difficult to even think about Katrina one year later. But it's more difficult for the people living it.

I know there's good people out there like Veritas on the job, but it's too bad that ineffective bureaucracy and just plain idiocy is still in command.

Yes, but it's a *regal* idiocy.

Remeber that we're talking about an administration spear-headed (and petard-hoisted) by a Citizen Kane Of Fools who grew up thinking that "Dynasty" was an instructional video instead of a lurid TV potboiler.

Unfortunately for him -- and even more unfortunately for the rest of us -- 43 has proven time and again that he is no 41 (and even less of a 42, for that matter).

The Boy Who Would Be King has been forced to confront the fact that he is not a king after all, not even a princeling -- merely another knave who is desperately holding onto a temporary office that he claimed by hook and by crook.

There's a lesson to be learned here. People who live in White Houses shouldn't stow thrones.

Dialogue from the movie "Dave" w/Kevin Kline....

Chief of Staff: Dave...

...the reason we invited you here tonight
is because...

...something happened to the president.

Dave: Oh, my God!

Chief of Staff: I know, it's difficult for all of us, but...

...we need to put
our personal feelings aside and focus...

...on the good of the country.

Dave: What happened?

Chief of Staff:It's actually kind of serious, Dave.

The president's not in very good shape.

Dave: Will he be okay?

Chief of Staff: -Probably. -I think so.

Sometimes we need our friends...

...and even our enemies, to feel...

...safe and secure.

We need them to feel
like they can go to bed at night...

...knowing that President Mitchell
is fully in control.

We need them to feel like...

...he's sitting right here...

...in this chair (points to presidents chair in Oval Office).

Dave: Wait a minute. Wait. What about the vice-president?

Chief of Staff: Vice-president?
We didn't want to have to tell you this...

...but the vice-president is mentally unbalanced.

I'm afraid so.

Dave: Really? Crazy?

Chief of Staff: Certifiable.

Ah, yes. The Shooter and The Pooter. What a team.

Or, as a friend of mine phrased it the other day: "Yo! Prezzie! Who's runnin' dis shiz??"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/27/nblair27.xml 

Compliant and subservient: Jimmy Carter's explosive critique of Tony Blair

Tony Blair's lack of leadership and timid subservience to George W Bush lie behind the ongoing crisis in Iraq and the worldwide threat of terrorism, according to the former American president Jimmy Carter.
 
Outspoken: Jimmy Carter condemns the Iraq invasion
"I have been surprised and extremely disappointed by Tony Blair's behaviour," he told The Sunday Telegraph.

"I think that more than any other person in the world the Prime Minister could have had a moderating influence on Washington - and he has not. I really thought that Tony Blair, who I know personally to some degree, would be a constraint on President Bush's policies towards Iraq."

In an exclusive interview, President Carter made it plain that he sees Mr Blair's lack of leadership as being a key factor in the present crisis in Iraq, which followed the 2003 invasion - a pre-emptive move he said he would never have considered himself as president.

Mr Carter also said that the Iraq invasion had subverted the fight against terrorism and instead strengthened al-Qaeda and the recruitment of terrorists.

"In many countries where I meet with leaders and private citizens there is an equating of American policy with Great Britain - with Great Britain obviously playing the lesser role.

"We now have a situation where America is so unpopular overseas that even in countries like Egypt and Jordan our approval ratings are less than five per cent. It's a shameful and pitiful state of affairs and I hold your British Prime Minister to be substantially responsible for being so compliant and subservient."
(snip)
At 81, Mr Carter - the 39th American president, from 1977 to 1981, and the winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize - plainly has no intention of sitting on his porch and nodding quietly away as the sun goes down over his peanut farm. He has just published a book, Faith and Freedom, in which he savages the American administration for leading the country into insularity and intolerance.

"We've never before had an administration that would endorse pre-emptive war - that is a basic policy of going to war against another country even though our own security was not directly threatened," he said. In his book, President Carter writes: "I have been sorely tempted to launch a military attack on foreigners."
But had he still been president, he says that he would never have considered invading Iraq in 2003.

"No," he said, "I would never have ordered it. However, I wouldn't have excluded going into Afghanistan, because I think we had to strike at al-Qaeda and its leadership. But then, to a major degree, we abandoned the anti-terrorist effort and went almost unilaterally with Great Britain into Iraq."

This, Mr Carter believes, subverted the effectiveness of anti-terrorist efforts. Far from achieving peace and stability, the result has been a disaster on all fronts. "My own personal opinion is that the Iraqi people are not better off as a result of the invasion and people in America and Great Britain are not safer."

Asked why he thinks Mr Blair has behaved in the way that he has with President Bush's belligerent regime, Mr Carter said he could only put it down to timidity. Yet he confessed that he remains baffled by the apparent contrast between Mr Blair's private remarks and his public utterances.

"I really believe the reports of former leaders who were present in conversations between Blair and Bush that Blair has expressed private opinions contrary to some of the public policies that he has adopted in subservience."

Damn, even thirty years after the fact that man makes me feel proud that I began my involvement in national politics by helping him get elected President.

[Originally written for posting at 9:26 am today]

Oh.

Shit.

Shit. Damn. Hell.

It's breaking news and the details are still sketchy as I write this... but a few hours ago, a Comair (Delta) commuter flight crashed into the fields near Lexington's Blue Grass Airport. As CNN phrased it, "multiple fatalities were reported."

Like I said, it's still breaking news as I write this. There's no information available yet about just what happened there, or why. So the Associated Press story on the wires right now is rather terse as well:

"LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A Comair flight carrying 50 people crashed a mile from Lexington's airport Sunday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration said. At least one person survived.

"Comair Flight 5191, a CRJ-100 regional jet with 47 passengers and three crew members, crashed at 6:07 a.m. shortly after taking off for Atlanta, said Kathleen Bergen, another FAA spokeswoman.

"There was no immediate word on what caused the crash.

"The University of Kentucky hospital is treating a survivor from the crash who is critical condition, spokesman Jay Blanton said. No other survivors have been brought to the hospital, he said."

I know those fields. I know that airport. I've flown out of that airport. My Kentucky ex used to be a stewardess on Comair flying out of that airport.

In fact, if I recall correctly I've even taken the Sunday morning shuttle to Atlanta flying out of that airport, too.

And while it's unlikely, several years having flowed over the dam since I lived in Lexington, it's not impossible that I know (knew?) someone who was on the Sunday shuttle flying out of that airport this morning.

Certainly a lot of other Lexingtonians did. And Lexington is still, relatively speaking, a small burg. So 50-odd folks being gone in a burning flash will leave a large dent in its communal soul for a long time to come.

Shit. Damn. Hell.

"We will never forget them this morning as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God."
-- Ronald Reagan's speechwriter, paraphrasing John Gillespie Magee

[Edited later to add: Reports indicate that one person survived the crash, which means that the other fifty didn't. The plane itself is said to be largely intact, though it did catch fire when it crashed -- within eyesight of the runway. No maintenance issues or other mechanical defects are known to have been involved, and (so far, at least) nobody has used the crash as an excuse to raise the terror alert level and scare the horses.]

The news:

Two Palestinians killed, Fox journalists were freed. No peacekeepers on Syrian border, just Lebanese.Israel used cluster bombs, US killed civilians in Afghanistan. Iran fired a missile, North Korea demanded lift of sanctions. Car bombs & kidnappings in Iraq, after Al-Maliki called for sectarian unity yesterday.

Obama to Kenya, Annan to Tehran, Bush to Kennebunkport. Uganda signed truce, US journalist/spy arrested in Sudan. Violence in Chechnya, Sri Lanka, Chad and Bangladesh.
Caribbean hurricane, Midwestern tornadoes & Filipino oil spill. Dynamite in student's luggage, US/UK plot linked to Pakistanis.

Families question Rumsfeld about redeployment, Watada faces court martial.
Harris clarifies remarks on religion, border governors make demands on immigration.
Jon Benet's killer unstable, kidnapped Austrian girl learned high German from radio. Carter lambasts Tony Blair, Ford recovering from angioplasty.

Otter
Thanks for giving some personal detail re the crash in Kentucky.

All detail is personal to somebody. That's why all politics is local.

Al-Maliki says Iraq ‘will never be in a civil war’
Nine people killed on minibus; explosion destroys newspaper's offices

Updated: 1 hour, 4 minutes ago

(Reuters) BAGHDAD, Iraq - On Sunday, a series of bomb explosions left at least 15 people dead and dozens wounded in Baghdad, as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said that violence was decreasing in his country, despite daily reports of bloodshed and fighting.

One attack on a Baghdad minibus sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky. It was followed a car bomb attack on the offices of Iraq’s best-selling newspaper, the government-owned al-Sabah, which killed two employees and damaged the building extensively.

“The violence is not increasing. We’re not in a civil war. Iraq will never be in a civil war,” he said through an interpreter on CNN’s Late Edition. “The violence is in decrease and our security ability is increasing.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14537878/

Al-Maliki sounds as delusional as his masters.

Al-Maliki sounds like he's been drinking the leftover Kool-Aid.

Experts warn U.S. is coming apart at the seams
By Chuck McCutcheon

Newhouse News Service

WASHINGTON — A pipeline shuts down in Alaska. Equipment failures disrupt air travel in Los Angeles. Electricity runs short at a spy agency in Maryland.

None of these recent events resulted from a natural disaster or terrorist attack, but they may as well have, some homeland security experts say. They worry that too little attention is paid to how fast the country's basic operating systems are deteriorating.

"When I see events like these, I become concerned that we've lost focus on the core operational functionality of the nation's infrastructure and are becoming a fragile nation, which is just as bad — if not worse — as being an insecure nation," said Christian Beckner, a Washington analyst who runs the respected Web site Homeland Security Watch (www.christianbeckner.com).

The American Society of Civil Engineers last year graded the nation "D" for its overall infrastructure conditions, estimating that it would take $1.6 trillion over five years to fix the problem.

"I thought [Hurricane] Katrina was a hell of a wake-up call, but people are missing the alarm," said Casey Dinges, the society's managing director of external affairs.

more...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003226851_fragile26.html

Aha. Maybe that's what Shrubya's minions meant back in 2003 when they said they were determined to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure so that it was the equal of our own.

Posted by: Otter at August 27, 2006 03:28 PM

Oh, I thought they meant, "watch as we destroy not only another nation, but our own".

Father Knows Best

He's a Zero and a Cheater

And a Mean Mistreater, too

I just did a 20+ min market research survey which turned out to be a "trash Ned Lamont and tell lies about how great Joe Lieberman is" exercize. I'm seething.

Some Republicans fear that the economy will hurt 'vulnerable incumbents' in November

RAW STORY
Published: Sunday August 27, 2006

Some Republicans fear that the economy will hurt 'vulnerable incumbents' in November, according to an article slated for the front page of Monday's New York Times.

"With gasoline prices still high and the economy beginning to slow, the current expansion has a chance to become the first sustained period of economic growth since World War II that fails to offer a prolonged increase in real wages for most workers," Steven Greenhouse and David Leonhardt report for the Times.

"That dynamic is adding to fears among Republicans that the economy will hurt vulnerable incumbents in this year's midterm elections even though it has been growing at a healthy pace for much of the last five years," the article continues.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Some_Republicans_fear_economy_will_hurt_0827.html

Posted by: dwahzon at August 27, 2006 08:54 PM

I hope you took names & numbers & gave them an earful...

Dwahzon
I hate those slanted polls and disguised surveys.

Posted by: monkey at August 27, 2006 08:55 PM

Oh there are many reasons why the incumbents are vulnerable. Add to that list...

- the Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel & Lebanon
- the corruption
- the deficit
- the anti-environmental laws they've passed
- the 45.5 million people without health care
- the "Every Child Left Behind" education system
- rights for seniors (Medicare, prescription drug plans)
- rights for women
- the incompetence
- the lies
- the cover-ups
- the complacency

Feel free to add to the list...

BTW, I've heard several people lately say, "I'll vote for anyone running against the incumbent."

It's the economy, stupid.

More to the point, it's *their* economy.

*Our* economy worked just fine.

We had a huge surplus. They have a much, much huger deficit.

We had positive job growth. They have lost jobs willy-nilly.

We had a peace economy. They have a war economy.

We had a booming middle- and upper-middle class. They have a rich-getting-richer class but everybody else is in the tank.

And they're worried about losing some "vulnerable incumbents" as a result??

Well, *waaaaah*.

Get over it, you crybaby rethugs. You did this to yourselves.

And to the rest of us.

Which is why you're going to be paying for it dearly come November.

My wife and I just got home from an outdoor Peter, Paul and Mary concert. They had over 10,000 people standing and singing, We Shall Overcome. Mary also joked that as a leukemia survivor she received her bone marrow from a Republican. The story she told about it was quite funny. She related that she had some strange fantasies about her donor and wondered what might happen if she got into a voting booth and felt a strange urge to vote Republican. She had an opportunity to talk with the donor on the phone, and telling her donor that story she was struck by the long pause at the end. Mary ended her story by saying, "Well at least my donor was a humble Republican, something I can't say about most Republicans we hear about in the news." Her donor met her on stage and gave a sincere appeal about how easy it is to become a bone marrow donor. It was all very touching. Those are real heros.

Hmmmmmmmmm..... Captain Codpiece "cut his vacation short" at his Texas ranch.....

... so he could continue his vacation at Kennebunkport...???

And the protesters followed...???

Bwahahahahahahahahahhahahahhaaaaaaaa......

I haven't been paying attention to Lamestream Media Snooze. (I OD'd on Benet stories. No one is waiting for DNA testing and interviews of the "suspect" to be completed. After that, give me ten or fifteen seconds of what transpired, but then shut up.)

Have the protesters at Kennebunkport gotten any air time in national media, on TV (where the only snooze that is snooze seems to matter to anyone)? Or do only people who read news on the internet know about the protesters in Maine?

Posted by: dwahzon at August 27, 2006 08:54 PM
Posted by: madame defarge at August 27, 2006 08:57 PM

Seriously...I 'd love to know if it was the same company that gave me a push poll a few weeks ago.

For NonnyO:

--------------

(Associated Press, via CBS News)

KENNEBUNKPORT -- President George W. Bush came to his parent's century-old summer home on the Maine coast for a little relaxation, a distant cousin's wedding and some family time. He got all that, along with a boisterous reminder nearly on his bucolic doorstep of the unpopularity of his Iraq policies.

What local police estimated were about 700 anti-war demonstrators marched Saturday to within half a mile of the Bush compound before being turned back at a security checkpoint. Called Walker's Point after the family of former President Bush's mother, the stone-and-shingle retreat covering a craggy promontory is owned by the current president's parents.

The protesters sang, chanted, beat drums, waved signs and even played fiddles to call on Bush to bring troops home.

"Bush is fiddling while the world burns, just as Nero fiddled while Rome burned," said Pippa Stanley, 15, of Richmond, Maine, who was helping with the backdrop for pair of fiddlers dressed in togas.

The group was loosely aligned with activist Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier who died in Iraq who gained international attention when she shadowed Bush last summer while he vacationed at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

An Associated Press-Ipsos poll this month found that only about one-third of Americans support Bush's handling of Iraq.

[snip]

----------------

August 28, 2006
Real Wages Fail to Match a Rise in Productivity
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE and DAVID LEONHARDT

With the economy beginning to slow, the current expansion has a chance to become the first sustained period of economic growth since World War II that fails to offer a prolonged increase in real wages for most workers.

That situation is adding to fears among Republicans that the economy will hurt vulnerable incumbents in this year’s midterm elections even though overall growth has been healthy for much of the last five years.

The median hourly wage for American workers has declined 2 percent since 2003, after factoring in inflation. The drop has been especially notable, economists say, because productivity — the amount that an average worker produces in an hour and the basic wellspring of a nation’s living standards — has risen steadily over the same period.

As a result, wages and salaries now make up the lowest share of the nation’s gross domestic product since the government began recording the data in 1947, while corporate profits have climbed to their highest share since the 1960’s. UBS, the investment bank, recently described the current period as “the golden era of profitability.”

Until the last year, stagnating wages were somewhat offset by the rising value of benefits, especially health insurance, which caused overall compensation for most Americans to continue increasing. Since last summer, however, the value of workers’ benefits has also failed to keep pace with inflation, according to government data.

At the very top of the income spectrum, many workers have continued to receive raises that outpace inflation, and the gains have been large enough to keep average income and consumer spending rising.

- more -

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/28/business/28wages.html