Delaware Watch

Noam Chomsky Denied Entry into Israel

2010-05-17T12:32:00.003-04:00

Israel is supposed to be one of our partners in democracy, a bastion of freedom in the Middle East. Yet when it comes to allowing the free speech of one of its critics, Israel can be repressive:

Professor Noam Chomsky, an American linguist and left-wing activist, was denied entry into Israel on Sunday, for reasons that were not immediately clear.

Chomsky, who was scheduled to deliver a lecture at Bir Zeit University near Jerusalem, told the Right to Enter activist group by telephone that inspectors had stamped the words "denied entry" onto his passport when he tried to cross from Jordan over Allenby Bridge.

When he asked an Israeli inspector why he had not received permission, he was told that an explanation would be sent in writing to the American embassy. (link)

He was held for questioning for three hours as well:

Chomsky arrived at the Allenby Bridge at around 1:30 in the afternoon and was taken for questioning, before being released back to Amman at 4:30 P.M.

While we are still awaiting “official” word for the denial of entry into Israel, Chomsky was told the reason by one of his interrogators:

In a telephone interview with Channel 10, Chomsky said the interrogators had told him he had written things that the Israeli government did not like.

As usual Chomsky was able to put the matter into its proper perspective:

"I suggested [the interrogator try to] find any government in the world that likes anything I say," he said.

Tea Party Mask Depicts Obama with a Bloody Face

2010-04-15T14:40:00.000-04:00

Tea Party NutJobs to Form Armed Militia

2010-04-13T11:47:00.001-04:00

Given the paranoid nature of the tea party movement, this development is perfectly predictable. Expect these nutjobs to form more militias in other states as well.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com

OKLAHOMA CITY — Frustrated by recent political setbacks, tea party leaders and some conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature say they would like to create a new volunteer militia to help defend against what they believe are improper federal infringements on state sovereignty.

Tea party movement leaders say they've discussed the idea with several supportive lawmakers and hope to get legislation next year to recognize a new volunteer force. They say the unit would not resemble militia groups that have been raided for allegedly plotting attacks on law enforcement officers.

"Is it scary? It sure is," said tea party leader Al Gerhart of Oklahoma City, who heads an umbrella group of tea party factions called the Oklahoma Constitutional Alliance. "But when do the states stop rolling over for the federal government?"

Obama Administration Covering Up Reality in Honduras

2010-04-09T18:53:00.001-04:00

This is straight from from the classic US posture of propping up illegitimate regimes in the Americas. It's ugly and it's wrong.

clipped from www.youtube.com

Israel Won't Disclose Its Nukes: Netanyahu Won't Attend Nuclear Conference

2010-04-09T13:00:00.001-04:00

Yet another Israeli outrage.

clipped from www.commondreams.org

Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled a planned trip to Washington
next week for President Barack Obama's 47-country nuclear
security conference.

He made the decision after learning Egypt and Turkey
intended to raise the issue of Israel's assumed atomic arsenal
at the meeting, a senior government official said on Friday.

Israel is believed to be the only nuclear-armed power in the
Middle East, but has never confirmed or denied it. It has not
signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Netanyahu saw Obama at the White House late last month to
discuss the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process. But they
failed to see eye to eye and bilateral ties remain strained.

"The prime minister has decided to cancel his trip to
Washington to attend the nuclear conference next week, after
learning that some countries including Egypt and Turkey plan to
say Israel must sign the NPT," the official said.

How the New Health Reform Really Works

2010-04-07T03:15:00.001-04:00

clipped from www.youtube.com

Man Charged with Threatening Senator Over Health Care Vote

2010-04-06T15:40:00.001-04:00

The roaches are crawling out of the cracks.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com

SEATTLE — A Washington state man has been charged with threatening to kill Democratic Sen. Patty Murray over her support for health care reform.

Court documents say federal agents arrested Charles Alan Wilson in Yakima on Tuesday.

An FBI agent's probable cause statement says Murray's office in Seattle reported the threats, which were left on voice mail from a blocked telephone number. Agents say they traced the calls to Wilson's home in Selah, near Yakima.

Murray's office told the FBI it had been receiving harassing messages from the caller for months, but they became more threatening as Congress was voting on health care legislation.

Excerpts of the expletive-laced messages transcribed in court documents show the caller saying he wanted to kill the senator, and it would just take one piece of lead.

The US is Shooting an Amazing Number of Innocent People in Afghanistan

2010-04-03T04:06:00.002-04:00

This, of course, was perfectly predictable and has been known for some time, but the USA is just now admitting it.

We have no right to use rules of engagement that result in our killing innocent people in their own country. We are behaving as an imperial power does in foreign territory.

Only fool would think that such actions will not result in more terrorism. There will be blowback someday.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com

As reported in the New York Times last week, a significant number of innocent Afghans continue to be killed by US and NATO forces despite new rules issued by Gen. Stanley McChrystal meant to help reduce civilian casualties. Indeed, the number of Afghans who have been killed or hurt by troop shootings at convoys and military checkpoints has basically remained the same since McChrystal announced his directives.

"We have shot an amazing number of people, but to my knowledge, none has ever proven to be a threat," said McChrystal during a recent video-conference with troops, the Times reported.

Road Rage Incident Over Obama Bumper Sticker

2010-03-26T17:14:00.001-04:00

The right-wing lunatics are beginning to show their real colors. This is but one example.

clipped from www.wkrn.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A Nashville man says he and his 10-year-old daughter were victims of road rage Thursday afternoon, all because of a political bumper sticker on his car.

Mark Duren told News 2 the incident happened around 4:30p.m., while he was driving on Blair Boulevard, not far from Belmont University.

He said Harry Weisiger gave him the bird and rammed into his vehicle, after noticing an Obama-Biden sticker on his car bumper.

"He pointed at the back of my car," Duren said, "the bumper, flipped me off, one finger salute."

But it didn't end there.

Duren told News 2 that Weisiger honked his horn at him for awhile, as Duren stopped at a stop sign.

Duren said he applied his brake and the SUV smashed into the back of his car.

He then put his car in park to take care of the accident, but Weisiger started pushing the car using his SUV.

Duren said, "He pushed my car up towards the sidewalk, almost onto the sidewalk."

Police say Harry Weisiger is charged with felony reckless endangerment

Bush Wipes Hand on Clinton's Shirt After Shaking Haitian's Hand

2010-03-24T13:58:00.000-04:00

No Longer Isolated Incidents But a Disturbing Pattern from Tea Partiers

2010-03-23T02:59:00.000-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Tea Partiers/GOP reactionaries explain the mean-spirited antics of their crazies as "isolated incidents." But given all the red-baiting and threatening signs, the screaming out of racial and homophobic slurs, the spitting on African American congressmen, these so-called "isolated incidents" are becoming a pattern. Olberman makes that case well.

Threatening Tea Party Sign

2010-03-20T18:43:00.001-04:00

Scary, scary people.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com

Tea Party Sign Suggests Obama is a Terrorist

2010-03-16T19:41:00.002-04:00

Yet another right-wing slander from a tea partier.

clipped from images.huffingtonpost.com

Flogging the Scientists

2010-03-16T05:25:00.002-04:00

This is especially dedicated to WDEL's Rick Jensen. Your bogus evidence and counter evidence are exposed.

How Western anti-Muslim Bigotry Became Respectable

2010-03-05T01:31:00.001-05:00

Good historical analysis.

Get It, America: Obama Lowered Your Taxes!

2010-02-12T18:03:00.001-05:00

The Republicans lie that Obama hasn't lowered the taxes of the vast majority of Americans has taken seed. The Republicans are proof that if you tell a lie long enough in time the public will come to believe that it's true. This is what happens when regaining power is more important than integrity.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com

Only 12 percent of the public say that the Obama administration has lowered their taxes since coming to office, despite the fact that the White House's stimulus package cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans, a new opinion survey found.

In addition, the CBS/NYT poll found that 24 percent of respondents said that their taxes had actually increased under the Obama administration -- which is, again, not true. Fifty-three percent said their taxes stayed the same.

More Republican Lying About National Security Matters

2010-02-11T00:18:00.000-05:00

It turns out that the lying that Congressional Republicans have been doing about National Security matters is legion. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow chronicles more lies by more Republicans. Newt Gingrich is but one instance.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Newt Gingrich Lying in Order to Smear Obama

2010-02-10T14:34:00.002-05:00

Well, Newt Gingrich has told another whopper. This time he was caught in short order. His lie was clearly intended to smear Obama. Apparently, these right-wing lunatrons feel they are entitled to simply invent facts to achieve their rhetorical aims.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, leveling harsh criticism against the Obama administration.

After Gingrich assailed the administration for reading Miranda Rights to Detroit undie bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Stewart drew a comparison to something that happened under George W. Bush.

"Didn't they do the same with Richard Reid, who was the shoe bomber?" he asked the Republican icon.

"Richard Reid was an American citizen," insisted Gingrich.

Reid is actually a British citizen of Jamaican descent.

At the end of the show, Stewart realized that Gingrich had falsely claimed the shoe bomber was an American citizen and noted that to his audience.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Newt Gingrich

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Health Care Crisis

A Collision of Kooks in Texas

2010-02-09T21:40:00.002-05:00

I have always thought that many of the politicians and would-be politicians in the tea party movement were nothing more than outright opportunists. But if you want evidence, notice how the tea partiers have turned on one of their own:

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who is considered by some to be the "father of the Tea Party movement" faces three opponents in the March Republican primary, the Dallas Morning News reports.

"The Tea Parties have awakened a lot of everyday people here and across America," Tim Graney, one of Paul's opponents, told the Morning News. (link)

All of Paul's primary opponents are associated with the tea party movement and they constitute "more [primary challengers] than he has faced in the past six primaries combined" (link).

The Paulites must be experiencing political shock. He isn't loved by the tea party movement. He is an outsider. One has to laugh.

Isn't Paul kooky enough for the tea partiers? What is their problem with him?

The newspaper reports that Paul's challengers say he is too focused on national ambitions and that he has has not voted in support of federal aid for his district. They have also criticized his opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (link)

In other words, Paul isn't enough like a conventional Republican. That shows you what the tea party is really all about: it's a movement supporting conventional Republican positions. It's not really about Independents. That's just window dressing.

Two Faced Republicans

2010-02-09T20:49:00.003-05:00

Let's say for the sake of argument that the Congressional Republicans are correct. That the Obama stimulus is bad for the economy, that it won't create jobs and it will not work. Wouldn't it follow that these Congressional Republicans wouldn't want any of the stimulus funds given to their state? How, then, can this be explained?

Sen. Christopher S. Bond regularly railed against President Obama's economic stimulus plan as irresponsible spending that would drive up the national debt. But behind the scenes, the Missouri Republican quietly sought more than $50 million from a federal agency for two projects in his state.

Mr. Bond was not alone. More than a dozen Republican lawmakers, while denouncing the stimulus to the media and their constituents, privately sent letters to just one of the federal government's many agencies seeking stimulus money for home-state pork projects.

The letters to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, expose the gulf between lawmakers' public criticism of the overall stimulus package and their private lobbying for projects close to home. (link)

And why did Senator Bond want these toxic funds for his state?

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Mr. Bond noted that one project applying to the USDA for stimulus money would "create jobs and ultimately spur economic opportunities."

It would what? Create jobs? Spur economic opportunity?

But Senator Bond isn't the only federal legislator who admits privately what he denies publicly. Remember Rep. Joe Wilson who yelled "You lie!" to President Obama during his speech to Congress last September? He voted against the stimulus bill, but guess what benefit he hopes to gain from the stimulus funds for his congressional district.

Rep. Joe Wilson, South Carolina Republican who became famous after yelling, "You lie," during Mr. Obama's addresses to Congress in September, voted against the stimulus. Nonetheless, Mr. Wilson elbowed his way into the rush for federal stimulus cash in a letter he sent to Mr. Vilsack on behalf of a foundation seeking funding.

"We know their endeavor will provide jobs and investment in one of the poorer sections of the Congressional District," he wrote to Mr. Vilsack in the Aug. 26, 2009, letter.

At times this kind of hypocrisy from the Congressional Republicans has a short time frame:

On Feb. 13, 2009, Sen. Robert F. Bennett, Utah Republican, issued a statement criticizing the stimulus — but two days earlier, he privately forwarded to Mr. Vilsack a list of projects seeking stimulus money.

"I believe the addition of federal funds to these projects would maximize the stimulative effect of these projects on the local economy," he wrote.

Isn't that interesting? Just two days before Senator Bennett was—publicly—certain that the stimulus package wouldn't work. Two days later—privately—Senator Bennett had his hand out and praised that "stimulus effect" that the funds would provide.

And on and on it goes: Congressional Republicans who publicly opposed the stimulus bill, privately endeavoring to have their states and districts benefit from it. What explains this dissonance?

I believe the explanation for their hypocrisy is simple, in spite of their attempts to justify it. These Congressional Republicans are liars. They took a public position for political purposes that was contrary to their privately held beliefs. They knew that the stimulus package would create and save jobs. They simply lied publicly about what they knew. But when they thought no one would find out, they expressed their privately held belief that the stimulus package would be helpful to their states and districts.

There is no nuance here. Just lying. Just publicly denying what is good and helpful as part of a strategy to regain political power. In other words, just anti-social behavior.

I Call It Demagoguery

2010-02-07T22:29:00.001-05:00

When Democrats criticized President Bush regarding national security concerns, their patriotism was questioned by Republicans. My, how things have changed with a change in administrations:

President Barack Obama's top counterterrorism adviser said Sunday that lawmakers and others are using national security to score political points and defended the handling of the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner.

Deputy national security adviser John Brennan complained that politicians, many of them Republicans, were unfairly criticizing the administration for partisan purposes and second-guessing the case with a "500-mile screwdriver" that reaches from Washington to the scene of the abortive attack in Detroit. (link)

When the Republicans had an opportunity to voice concerns when the cameras weren't rolling, they were mute:

Brennan said he had personally briefed top GOP lawmakers on Christmas night about the arrest of accused bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and that none of them raised objections….

Among those he said he briefed were Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio; and the top Republicans on the congressional intelligence committees, Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri and Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan.

It's only when the cameras are rolling that they complain, which demonstrates they are politicizing their national security "concerns."

Republicans have been outspoken in criticizing the administration for treating Abdulmutallab as a civilian and reading him his rights.

I call it demagoguery.

Run! NAMBLA is at the Breach!

2010-02-06T19:18:00.000-05:00

Oh, I just had to share this one. Mendacity rarely becomes more "righteous" than this:

Don't Tell Me the Stimulus Hasn't Been Effective

2010-02-05T19:58:00.000-05:00

Perhaps a picture will help the dimwits see that the Obama stimulus has stopped the hemorraging of the economy which began under George W. Bush:

See. Unemployment grew under Bush during the last year of his presidency and has steadily declined during the first year of the Obama presidency. Only fools and the benighted disagree.

Tea Bagging Candidate Crushed in Illinois Primary

2010-02-03T09:51:00.001-05:00

Tea bagger Republican candidate for the US Senate (Illinois) Patrick Hughes lost his primary bid in a landslide that was so large it can only be regarded as a repudiation of his reactionary, tea-bagging orientation:

Mark Kirk handily won the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate from Illinois, defeating his closest challenger Patrick Hughes by a landslide.

With 98% of precincts reporting, Kirk led with 56% of the vote to Hughes's 19%. (link)

The next time tea baggers or tea bagging fellow travelers "predict" that tea bagging candidates will sweep the elections in November 2010, just repeat "56 percent to 19 percent" and then laugh uproariously in their benighted faces.

Why We have a Budget Deficit

2010-02-01T21:56:00.000-05:00

Want to know what's driving the current US budget deficit? The largest factor isn't Obama's economic stimulus or TARP. By far the largest single factor is the Bush tax cuts that mostly benefited the wealthy:

Those tax cuts need to be rolled back from the wealthy now. You can't pay your bills without income.

Delaware Watch

Noam Chomsky Denied Entry into Israel

Tea Party Mask Depicts Obama with a Bloody Face

Tea Party NutJobs to Form Armed Militia

Obama Administration Covering Up Reality in Honduras

Israel Won't Disclose Its Nukes: Netanyahu Won't Attend Nuclear Conference

How the New Health Reform Really Works

Man Charged with Threatening Senator Over Health Care Vote

The US is Shooting an Amazing Number of Innocent People in Afghanistan

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Road Rage Incident Over Obama Bumper Sticker

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Tea Party Sign Suggests Obama is a Terrorist

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Newt Gingrich Lying in Order to Smear Obama

A Collision of Kooks in Texas

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Don't Tell Me the Stimulus Hasn't Been Effective

Tea Bagging Candidate Crushed in Illinois Primary

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