tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69730452023-03-21T19:45:59.651-07:00A blog on politics by moderates aimed at promoting greater democracy here in the U.S. and overseas. Our coorespondents air their views with frequent field reports from EEA Eaton in sunny Southern California. E.E.A. Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827872490647245375noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1096154099646636602004-09-25T15:54:00.000-07:002004-09-25T16:20:51.226-07:00

If you go to the PBS Now site, you can download the Memorandum of Understanding on the Debates between the two parties. Everything, right to the camera angles and the pens and paper the candidates will be using, has been agreed upon by the two parties. The cameras are not allowed to show the audience members to the debate (mostly hand-picked by the two parties) except at the very beginning and

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1096152857467243662004-09-25T15:37:00.000-07:002004-09-25T15:54:17.466-07:00

Well, the Republicans have already spun the Florida Hurricanes (and Ivan's 2nd coming) to their advantage, as expected. Had one or more Hurricanes suddenly changed course and headed out to sea, you can bet preacher Pat Robertson, founding of the Republican Christian Coalition and key Bush voter getter, would have explained that this was somehow an indication of divine favor for the Bushes. (He

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1095909667882949502004-09-22T19:45:00.000-07:002004-09-22T20:21:07.883-07:00

After devasting the panhandle of Florida, Hurricane Ivan has now regenerated itself over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico as a Tropical Depression. The National Weather Service is predicting that, within the next 48 hours, the storm will strengthen to a Tropical Storm and is headed straight for ... Crawford, Texas. (No joke, official map as 5PM EDT on Wednesday, Sept 22. Hurricane prediction

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827872490647245375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1095464470993194512004-09-17T16:28:00.000-07:002004-09-17T16:41:10.993-07:00

Last night I installed Mozilla Firefox. Finally someone's developed a browser that's better and more feature-rich than Internet Explorer (IE). The Mozilla folks has been around and putting out browsers for a while (it started when Netscape donated their source code to the open source project), and they haven't been plagued with the constant stream of security problems that afflicts Microsoft IE.

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827872490647245375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1095308614441550162004-09-15T21:00:00.000-07:002004-09-15T21:23:34.440-07:00

The New York Times is reporting that CBS is finally conceding the controversial Bush memos are forgeries, and is presenting a plausible explanation. CBS has shown an interview with Kilian's secretary, 86, saying she remembers typing memos very similar to the forged documents in CBS' possession, albeit on a fixed-space typewriter typical of this period. The key to understanding this story, as we

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1095278547118119622004-09-15T13:02:00.000-07:002004-09-15T13:47:16.010-07:00

Years ago, Pat Robertson interpreted one hurricane's "sudden" change of course as a message from God that he should run (unsuccessfully, praise be to God!) for President. I suggest instead that that the repeated poundings of Florida by Global Climate Change-created monster hurricanes is a message from God to Global Climate Change-disputing Jeb Bush not to rig the Florida presidential elections

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1095233239817808112004-09-14T23:24:00.000-07:002004-09-15T11:37:09.816-07:00

It is not a concidence that the American legal system (uniquely) refers to hurricanes and other natural disasters as "Acts of God." Our ancestors believed such natural disasters were not necessarily mere coincidents, but quite possible the acts of the avenging Diety or the inexplicable judgement of a Divine Providence sacrificing one region for the greater good of another. Hurricane Ivan,

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1095216138096455482004-09-14T19:22:00.000-07:002004-09-14T19:42:18.096-07:00

[PARODY OF TODAY'S COLIN POWELL/RUSSIA STORY.] Responding to domestic US concerns that the GOP was using terrorism as an excuse to consolidate its hold on power through media concentration and broken voting machines, Colin Powell said today: "We understand the need to fight against terrorism . . . but in an attempt to go after terrorists I think one has to strike a proper balance to make sure

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1095145677833411782004-09-13T23:27:00.000-07:002004-09-14T00:13:21.260-07:00

Microsoft Word produces a dead-on copy of the forged documents with the default settings. It's true there were two model lines of IBM typewriters that could have produced proportional spacing in the 1970s. Extensive output of both has now been posted to the web, and the bottom line is: if you fought with a IBM Selectric Composer for many hours (a very pricey typesetting machine unlikely to be

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1094877394022477972004-09-10T21:17:00.000-07:002004-09-10T21:36:34.023-07:00

Simple experiment: Go to http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/06/politics/main641481.shtml, today's CBS News article in which Dan Rather vigorously defends controversial documents that incriminate Bush as authentic. Open the PDF versions of the articles using the widely-installed, free Adobe Acrobat Reader software. Now, enter the text of the documents into Microsoft Word using the default MS

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1094189970657617952004-09-02T21:40:00.000-07:002004-09-02T22:39:30.656-07:00

At first I thought this might be a difficult entry to write. You can't win unless your positive, Bush strategists have kept telling the media. After the two horsement of the Apocalypse gave incredibly angry speeches yesterday, tonight was supposed to optimistic. That's why I titled this column "It's Mourning in America Again," a play on Reagan's famous 1984 propaganda video. It was Mourning in

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1094096104346914412004-09-01T19:54:00.000-07:002004-09-01T20:35:04.346-07:00

"He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak" (Rev 13:13-15) or so says the Apocalypse. Tonight Halliburton was given an image and voice in the form of a man named Dick Cheney, the current Veep, in another night of ultra-nationalism at the Republican National Convention. In what must have shocked foreign observers and moderate Americans alike,

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1094020998426145752004-08-31T22:44:00.000-07:002004-09-01T11:45:51.326-07:00

Yesterday will probably go down as one of the worst day of the Republican convention. Republicans, eager to forget the record half million anti-Bush protestors in the streets the day before, say Rudi Giuliani use one of Hitler's favorite quotes (or was it Nietzsche or Bush --- they all liked "Whoever is not with us is against us). "Start spreading the news" that the Republicans forgot that the

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827872490647245375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1093932429550651082004-08-30T20:54:00.000-07:002004-09-01T12:33:28.403-07:00

Eager to stamp out memories the 500,000-strong anti-Bush protest march yesterday in New York City, Republican today wrapped themselves thoroughly in the flag and hailed the Strong Leadership of Great Leader Bush. The great Leader ("Il Duce" in Italian or "Der Fuehrer" in German) himself was not there; he will tout his Strong Leadership (TM) on Thursday. Instead, we were presented with RNC videos

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1093839493190885212004-08-29T20:59:00.000-07:002004-08-29T21:18:13.233-07:00

It is being widely reported today that a record number of protestors marched in NYC to protest Bush's candidacy for re-election at the Republican convention there. The New York Times reported earlier today (with dateline August 30th due to time differences) that the organizers estimates of a crowd of 500,000 protestors was likely accurate, citing a city official, speaking on condition of

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827872490647245375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1092767905485440192004-08-17T11:09:00.000-07:002004-08-17T11:46:25.626-07:00

Breaking News: U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge warned today that recent intelligence intercepts suggest terrorists may be planning to use African elephants in terrorist attacks against American interests in Rome, Italy timed to coincide with the Republican National Convention in NYC later this month. "We've never seen this level of specificity or quality of intelligence!" said Ridge,

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1092638056159380242004-08-15T23:10:00.000-07:002004-08-15T23:41:53.743-07:00

The Washington Post reported yesterday that Bush plans to announce formally his troop rotation plan at the Republican National Convention, where he will reportedly present himself (IMHO rather arrogantly given he lost us the World Trade Center) as the only candidate who can keep America safe. In my lost post, responding to the Republic T.V. ad in battleground states in which Bush (incredibly)

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1092518643886661902004-08-14T13:54:00.009-07:002004-08-14T18:00:24.016-07:00

In one of the more bizarre twists of the Presidential campaign, George Bush's most recent T.V. campaign ad (being run in "battleground states") takes credit for the triumph of the Olympic Movement (or Triumph of the Will? -- see below), citing the growth in the number of "free nations" participating from 40 to 120 since 1960, although Bush wasn't in power for most of that period. (The number of

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1092072564550197702004-08-09T10:03:00.000-07:002004-08-09T10:29:24.550-07:00

One of the main GOP talking points, which I hear repeated over and over again by right-leaning journalists (especially on AM talk radio, but in other media as well) is that George Bush is invulnerable in November because he is a "war President" and no "war President" has ever lost re-election during a "war." That may (or may not) be true, but, in general, no "war President" was ever responsible

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1091901252957792232004-08-07T10:41:00.000-07:002004-08-07T10:54:12.956-07:00

I can always tell a beheading video has been released when my Internet traffic surges. Reuters is reporting the beheading video broadcast earlier today on Arab television was a hoax. Its San Fransisco-based creator taped the "beheading" of a motionless head with a knife, then spiced up the video with video footage taken from an actual militant website, including a background of a man reading the

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1091756924931153292004-08-05T18:17:00.000-07:002004-08-05T18:48:44.930-07:00

AP is reporting that Republican Senator McCain is condemning an ad run by Bush supporters that suggests Kerry's Vietnam record is bogus. This is a tactic that backfired when it was used in previous campaigns, as such accusations angered Kerry's crewmates, who would then actively to campaign for him. You can imagine how this might anger people. McCain, like Kerry, was also a war hero, and spent

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1091390898817401312004-08-01T13:08:00.000-07:002004-08-01T13:33:20.706-07:00

"Exclusive" Inner Circle nomination for us war-profiteers In an obvious fit of temporary insanity, the Republicans "nominated" me to join an "exclusive" club (price: $2500) that would let me hob-nob with fellow war profiteers from "around the country" in three D.C. dinners and receive personalized excuses for why the Republicans will ignore all of my suggestions. Oh Welcome Defense Contractors

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1091341597993092452004-07-31T22:52:00.000-07:002004-07-31T23:26:37.993-07:00

Well, after hearing the AM conservative talk radio "black" propaganda broadcast apparently involving actors pretending to be liberals, veterans, etc., I have decided I will get revenge. I am going to introduce a fake Republican to talk up the "responsible" Republican agenda and present his insights into the recent Democratic convention. Later, Mr. Fake Republican will be covering the Republican

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1091255386607957562004-07-30T22:13:00.000-07:002004-07-31T13:52:18.016-07:00

I have so much about media bias in these pages that at some point I'm going to have come back and add all of the links to my earlier articles at the bottom of this page somewhere. But, what I'm going to talk about now is something completely different. Up to now, I've simply been summarize and compiling other people's reports on media bias. Now I'm going to do my own reporting about something

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827872490647245375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973045.post-1091159849468880502004-07-29T20:30:00.000-07:002004-07-29T21:01:45.490-07:00

Two speeches formed the highlights of the final day of the 2004 Democratic Convention. Gen. Wesley Clark gave an extremely effective speech. John Kerry, after being introduced by excellent, moving speeches from his daughters and patrol boat buddies, probably gave the speech of his life according to Republic pundit David Brooks and liberal pundit Mark Shields on PBS. (Their criticism of the

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com