Phil's Observations

Mass Media & Political Funnies

2005-11-30T20:21:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, I just can't resist laughing out so loudly. Good thing people already know I am nuts, and are used to it.

Courtesy of

Liberal activists at movon.org have yanked an anti-war ad blasting the administration for leaving U.S. troops in Iraq over the holidays after the Pentagon pointed out it used British soldiers to represent Americans in Iraq. The picture appeared as the ad's narrator says, "A hundred and fifty thousand American men and women are stuck in Iraq."

But a Pentagon spokesman tells Cybercast News that American men and women wear darker fatigues with a different pattern and don't have shorts as part of their combat uniforms. After trying to fix the error by doctoring the original photo to darken the uniforms and put long pants on the soldier in shorts MoveOn.org removed the ad from its Web site.
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The four activists kidnapped by terrorists in Iraq are part of the anti-war group Christian Peacemaker Teams and you might think the organization is furious with their captors, but you'd be wrong. Instead, the peace group is blaming the U.S. and Britain for the abduction, saying, "We are angry because what has happened to our teammates is the result of the actions of the U.S. and U.K. governments due to the illegal attack on Iraq and the continuing occupation and oppression of its people."

The group's Web site reveals that it's a left-wing organization that has also stood with Palestinians against "Israeli occupation," and with illegal Mexican immigrants against harsh "U.S. immigration policy."

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Connecticut Democrat Joe Lieberman who just returned from Iraq, defended U.S. efforts there in Tuesday's Wall Stree Journal and a subsequent news conference on Capitol Hill, saying the military has "a good plan" for victory in Iraq, that progress is "visible and practical" and warning that such progress could be turned back by a premature withdrawal.

But the major media that played up Democratic Rep. John Murtha's call for withdrawing U.S. troops largely ignored Lieberman's remarks. Neither ABC nor CBS mentioned the senator in their nightly newscasts while NBC aired a short sound byte. And The Washington Post, New York Times, and USA Today ran not a word of Lieberman's praise for U.S. efforts in Iraq.

Soldier's Story Praised, then Found Not To Be True

2005-11-11T20:22:00.000-06:00

Courtesy the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

WASHINGTON — For more than a year, former Marine Staff Sgt. Jimmy Massey has been telling anybody who would listen about the atrocities that he and other Marines committed in Iraq.

In scores of newspaper, magazine and broadcast stories, at a Canadian immigration hearing and in numerous speeches across the country, Massey told how he and other Marines recklessly, sometimes intentionally killed dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians.

Among his claims:

• Marines fired on and killed peaceful Iraqi protesters.

• Americans shot a 4-year-old Iraqi girl in the head.

• Tractor-trailers were filled with the bodies of civilian men, women and children killed by American artillery.

Massey's claims have gained him celebrity. Last month, Massey's book, "Kill, Kill, Kill," was released in France. His allegations have been reported in nationwide publications such as Vanity Fair and USA Today, as well as numerous broadcast reports.

This year, he joined the anti-war bus tour of Cindy Sheehan and he's spoken at Cornell and Syracuse universities, among others.

News organizations worldwide published or broadcast Massey's claims without any corroboration and in most cases without investigation. Outside of the Marines, almost no one has seriously questioned whether Massey, a 12-year veteran who was honorably discharged, was telling the truth.

He wasn't.

Each of his claims is either demonstrably false or exaggerated — according to his fellow Marines, Massey's own admissions and the five journalists who were embedded with Massey's unit, including a reporter and photographer from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and reporters from the Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal.

Massey, 34, of Waynesville, N.C., was with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines based out of Twentynine Palms, Calif. The unit went to the Middle East in January 2003 and participated in the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Massey was discharged in December 2003, shortly after returning from Iraq, due to depression and post-traumatic stress syndrome.

He began turning up in news stories last spring with accounts of military atrocities. Massey's primary claim has been that Marines from his battalion — some of whom, he told a Minneapolis audience, were "psychopathic killers" — recklessly shot and killed Iraqi civilians, sometimes, he said, upon orders from their commanders. During a hearing in Canada, Massey said, "we deliberately gunned down people who were civilians."

The Marine Corps investigated Massey's claims and said they were "unsubstantiated."

From the beginning, Massey misled reporters.

In early interviews, he told how he had lost his job at a furniture store because of his anti-war activities. But when asked about the incident in an Oct. 19 interview with the Post-Dispatch, Massey said that he had quit his job but never felt pressure to leave.

"I left on good terms," he said.

He also backtracked from allegations he made in a May 2004 radio interview and elsewhere that he had seen tractor-trailers filled with the bodies of Iraqi civilians when Marines entered an Iraqi military prison outside of Baghdad. He said the Iraqis had been killed by American artillery.

He told listeners the scene was so bad "that the plasma from the body and skin was decomposing and literally oozing out of the crevices of the tractor-trailer bed."

He repeated the story during the Post-Dispatch interview. But when told that the newspaper's photographs and eyewitness reports identified the trailer containing all men, mostly in uniform, Massey admitted that he had never seen the bodies.

Instead, he said, he had received his information from "intelligence reports." When asked if those reports were official documents, he answered, "No, that's what the other Marines told me."

The details of Massey's stories changed repeatedly.

For example, he almost always told his audiences and interviewers of an event he said he'd never forget: Marines in his unit shooting four Iraqi civilians in a red Kia automobile.

In some accounts, Massey said Marines fired at the vehicle after it failed to stop at a checkpoint. In another version, he said the Marines stormed the car.

Sometimes he said three of the men were killed immediately while the fourth was wounded and covered in blood; sometimes he said the fourth man was "miraculously unscathed."

Sometimes he said the Marines left the three men on the side of the road to die without medical treatment while the fourth man exclaimed: "Why did you shoot my brother?" In other versions, he said the man made the statement as medical personnel were attempting to treat the three other men, or as the survivor sat near the car, or to Massey personally.

There is no evidence that any of the versions occurred.

Massey told a version of the story before an immigration hearing in December in support of an American soldier trying to flee to Canada. The Seattle Times reported Massey's allegations in a story about that hearing. Then, Massey said he and the Marines killed four of the demonstrators. In other interviews, he said the Marines shot at 10 demonstrators and killed all but one that he let crawl away.

In interviews with more than a dozen 7th Marines and journalists who were in the military complex that morning, none can recall such an incident.

The Marine Corps readily admits that some of its men shot civilians, but not intentionally, they said. The Post-Dispatch reported on the second day of the war that Marines in one battalion had mistakenly shot and killed members of a British-based television network while shooting at Iraqi attackers.

When Marines moved into Baghdad a month later, the Post-Dispatch reported two separate automobile-related incidents in which Marines from Massey's battalion inadvertently shot and wounded 12 civilians. All of the passengers survived following treatment by medical personnel.

One of the checkpoint shootings is apparently the basis for one of most shocking recollections claimed by Massey in numerous speeches and interviews: The shooting of a 4-year-old girl in the head.

While touring with Sheehan in Montgomery, Ala., he told of seeing the girl's body. "You can't take it back," he said, according to the local newspaper.

But in the interview with the Post-Dispatch, Massey admitted that he had never seen the girl.

No 4-year-old died in the incident or was even wounded, according to witnesses, including a Post-Dispatch photographer at the scene who filed photos of the incident that were published in the newspaper.

Someone has been following the Mary Mapes philosophy on what journalism is: Let's tell a story, even if it isn't true!

Mary Mapes ... What a Sham

2005-11-11T20:04:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of GMA on ABC ... Brian Ross interview... on the "Memogate" scandal ...

"No one has proved that the documents were not authentic," Mapes says on this morning's "Good Morning America." Um, ya dumb ass journalist ... isn't it your job to verify accuracy of a story before reporting it?

"If you're talking about an investigation that basically gutted a news organization, and turned people one against another and made people afraid of each other and really scooted the country's most experienced anchor out of his chair . . . I didn't do that," she says. Yeah, right.

What Mapes doesn't dispute is the fact that she called a member of John Kerry's presidential campaign before the 60 Minutes II report was aired. Why would a journalist contact the opponent of the other canidate before the damn show aired? Something smells like fish ...

"I don't think I committed bad journalism. I really don't," she says. How do you define bad journalism, dumbass??

Mapes believes that Rove masterminded the public attack on the CBS guard story. It came out in September 2004, during the heat of a presidential election campaign. Umm, I think average Americans with a sense of what is right and what is wrong is why the public attacked, not because of Rove. This just goes to show you what she really thinks of the viewing public.

"For some reason, we've gone through this incredible period of media self-flagellation. We have become much more comfortable attacking and taking each other apart than we've been asking this administration tough questions." I'll tell you what, doorknob, bring something credible, and maybe there will be a real discussion among the American people.

Mapes tells ABC News she is continuing to investigate the source of the controversial documents. But she insists she had no journalistic obligation to prove their authenticity before the "60 Minutes II" report.

"I don't think that's the standard," she says. I thought that was what journalism was all about!

I think that says about all I need to say about Mary Mapes.

NASA Prioritizes

2005-11-03T22:51:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of

NASA's top priorities are a replacement for the space shuttle and completing the international space station, and some other programs are being cut or deferred to concentrate the agency's resources, NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin said Thursday.
"NASA cannot afford to do everything on its plate today," he told the House Science Committee. Funding priorities required the agency to cancel several programs that "we either did not need or did not need right now," Griffin said.
For example, it seemed like putting the cart before the horse to continue life science studies about how people respond to being in space before the agency was sure it could put people back in space, he said.
In addition to life sciences, another affected program is nuclear systems technology, Griffin said.
That program is designed to provide power to an outpost planned for the surface of the moon. But that won't be needed until after 2018, so the work is currently being deferred, he said.
The agency has adopted a "go-as-you-can-pay" approach, Griffin said.
That focus on two primary areas should serve as a warning of potential cuts for the rest of NASA, Rep. Bart Gordon (news, bio, voting record), D-Tenn., commented.
Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., expressed support for Griffin but added that "NASA cannot use aeronautics and science as a piggy bank to fund human space flight."
Griffin said the next flight of the space shuttle is still planned for spring, adding that while the agency was surprised by problems with the foam insulation on the last flight, a lot has been learned from that.
NASA has been developing the new crew exploration vehicle, which is intended to fly to the moon but also can replace the space shuttle when it goes out of service.
Delaying that work could result in the United States being out of the manned spaceflight business for a few years after the shuttle is retired, at the same time other nations are increasing their space programs, Griffin said.
In addition, he said, NASA is encouraging private industry to submit proposals to carry cargo and crew to the space station.

Phil's Observations
It's about frickin tim NASA prioritized its projects. I'm all for space exploration, but com'on folks, we have to determine which projects are more or less important than others.

Tax Reform Panel Reports

2005-11-01T21:19:00.000-06:00

Well, the tax code needs to be fixed, that is for sure. What I am not sure about is the recommendations that have been presented to the Secretary of the Treasury. I hope this leads to a massive, evolutionary change.

President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform Final Report

Check it out for yourself. If you pay taxes, it's important you understand the proposals and it's important that you tell your government what you think.

Personally, I think our current tax system is in shambles. Here's my proposal:

Eliminate all income taxes and start from scratch.
All persons with income two times the poverty rate and below are exempt from paying income taxes.
Everyone else pays x percent of their income. My suggestion is 15-19%.
Everyone else pays the same damn rate - no exceptions.
There are only two exemptions to the income tax:

A deduction for purchasing your first home.
A deduction for charitable contributions up to 25% of your income

That's it folks! Nice, simple, clean, and fair. What do you think?

A Couple of Tidbits from the News

2005-10-29T17:05:00.000-05:00

Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination this week. The entire political spectrum and commentators were all over this, like a huge storm. It was hilarious to watch and listen and read. She wasn't a household name. She didn't have any constitutional record that she could use to demonstrate her qulifications. And it looks like Bush didn't prep as well as he should have. I still think it would have been interesting to hear her speak at the confirmation hearings...

VP Cheney's Chief of Staff was indicted yesterday. Another storm of controversy on the political spectrum. Two in one week. One hell of a week. The whole grand jury/special prosecutor thing was investigating if there was an intential leak of a covert CIA agent. Well, as of today, no crime was committed as it relates to the origin of the investigation. But it looks like Scooter Libby has lied and misled the investigators. Funny thing, I'm not really sure that a crime was actually commited; he may have done this to cover up something else or actually not intentially lied at all or forgot some of the details. I've heard it both ways. It will be interesting to find out if any of this comes out in trial.

I'm starting to believe that way too many Americans do not grasp the significance of terrorism, how it works, why it is a threat to the American culture, and why it is vital to stop it. There was a terrorist attack in New Delhi today. Far away from us. Why should we care? Because it is a monumental day towards cooperation and freedom: India & Pakistan agreed to open the Kashmir border to help with aid to victims of a recent, major earthquake. These are two countries that have been at odds with each other for a very long time. Yet they come together to help those victimized. The terrorists didn't like the two countries cooperating. 3 blasts. 58 dead. Dozens wounded. It never stops. Until we, as Americans, break the cycle and use our might to take care of the problem.

There were school girls were beheaded this week. Killed because they were Christian. Makes me wonder what the other religions are telling people to do.

Rosa Parks died this week. It's amazing how a stubborn woman would inspire a movement to right a wrong. What a fabulous country we live in.

Bone fragments were found last month, and verified this month that they originated from the 9/11 attacks. Four years later and scars are still visible with new ones found.

Phil Declares Public Support of the Minutemen Project

2005-10-19T19:32:00.000-05:00

First, some quotes that make me laugh and sick at the same time:

"Five people were arrested in a deliberate attempt to protest these people planning to hunt and trap immigrants," said Kara K. Norlander, 23. [courtesy Daily Southtown]

"The Bay Area Coalition to Fight the Minutemen is mobilizing an action to oppose the Minutemen Project's rally to gather public support for their attempts to harass poor, undocumented border-crossers" [courtesy indybay.org]

"I call on President Bush … to call on extremist members of his own party to end their anti-immigrant rhetoric and support for the Minutemen vigilante group, both of which are helping spread fear and hatred in America,” said Dean, chairman of the DNC. [courtesy Vermont Guardian]

"They are outsiders, and we don't want them here," said David Van Deusen of Moretown, Vt., who helped to organize the protest. "We don't want their racist policies in Vermont." [courtesy sciencedaily.com]

Phil's Observations
There's even a website to stop the minutemen project ... http://swarmtheminutemen.com/ ... They even have a page entitled "Why We Remain Anonymous". Funny, isn't it? The minutemen are proud of their action and don't hide behind the curtain.

Fifty-four percent (54%) of Americans have a favorable opinion of the volunteers who patrolled portions of the Mexican border earlier this year. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that just 22% have an unfavorable view of the "Minutemen" volunteers. Check out out for yourself at rasmussenreports.com

The bottom line is really this: The government is not doing enough to stop terrorists from getting though. The government is not doing enough to reduce illegal immigration. Some citizens have stepped up to fill the lack of action. This is not a racial issue. This is not a vigilante issue. This is not a rent-a-cop issue. No one is getting hurt. No one is getting trapped. No one is getting harrassed - except the courageous volunteers themselves. There is no extremism issue here. The Minutemen are strictly nonconfrontational and use "observe and report" methods. To join the Minuteman Project, people must submit to a criminal background check. Anyone who has committed a crime is prohibited from joining or remaining in the group. What the hell is wrong with that?

I'm looking forward to your comments.

Here is the website of the minuteman project: Minuteman Project

The Minuteman Pledge

I. A Minuteman upholds the Constitution of the United States of America, and reveres the American Creed that unites us as one people, our Declaration of Independence.

II. A Minuteman knows well America is a nation of immigrants, and realization of our national promise has always relied upon those who come to America from other countries to participate fully, with their children and descendants, as loyal and law-abiding U.S. citizens.

III. A Minuteman believes that just as ethnicity, race, religion and all such factors are incidental and do not affect our God-given, constitutional equality as American citizens, such factors are also irrelevant in the debate over illegal immigration. There is no tolerance among Minutemen for racism or bigotry — E Pluribus Unum — Out of Many, One.

IV. A Minuteman believes in a strong, safe and secure America that begins with borders open only to those who have a legal right to enter, and who have met all the lawful criteria to cross into our territory established by the sovereign American people.

V. Minutemen vow to use every legal means at our disposal to assist law enforcement authorities in identifying and apprehending those who violate our borders, whether they are illegally trafficking people, weapons, arms, property, sexual slaves or any other contraband.

VI. Minutemen vow to report to the proper authorities any business entity which knowingly recruits, facilitates or employs people who have entered America illegally, or which cooperates in any commercial activity which involves contraband smuggling or marketing of persons, products or materiel.

VII. Minutemen promise to raise our voices — on cellular phones along the borders of America and in the halls of Congress — in the defense of the rule of law. The American people are firm but fair, and we share their great compassion for the many powerless victims of cruel, illegal human trafficking and labor exploitation. But we also support our citizens' adamant rejection of the blatant disregard for our laws and ordered liberty represented by the U.S. government's failure to secure our borders, enforce our nation's sovereignty and end the flood of illegal trafficking into American territory.

I vow before God and my fellow Americans that these principles guide my actions as a Minuteman. "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty..." And so I will stand watch on America's borders and in her sovereign interest until relieved from duty by my fellow countrymen.S

Standard Operating Procedure for Minuteman Project

Minutemen are courteous to everyone with whom they come into contact, and never discriminate against anyone for any reason.
Minutemen do not respond to any taunts or harassment from outside agitators, and must never be present for duty or serve in any capacity if intoxicated.
Minutemen Observe, Report and Direct Border Patrol or other appropriate emergency or law enforcement agencies to suspected Illegal Aliens or Illegal Activities.
Minutemen do not verbally contact, physically gesture to or have any form of communications with suspected Illegal Aliens.
Minutemen follow the Standard Operating Procedures to the letter and spirit.
Minutemen follow all federal, state and local laws, understanding that we are being held to a higher standard by all.
Minutemen understand that, while our actions cannot stop illegal activities along the boarder, we can change world perception and national thought concerning Homeland and Border Security.
Minutemen monitor their behavior, the behavior of the people around them and the group as a whole to ensure compliance with the SOP and any instruction given by Minuteman Corps Leadership.
Minutemen leave no garbage behind and follow strict pack-in / pack-out procedures.
Minutemen respect the property rights of everyone, start no fires, never drive off road, and follow the directions of all law enforcement personnel.

Driver Charged in Nursing Home Bus Blast That Killed 23

2005-10-17T22:10:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of

DALLAS — The driver of a bus that caught fire while carrying nursing-home patients fleeing Hurricane Rita was charged Monday with criminally negligent homicide in the deaths of 23 passengers.

Juan Robles Gutierrez, a 37-year-old Mexican citizen, was taken into federal custody on an immigration violation five days after the Sept. 23 explosion near Dallas.

Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Don Peritz would not give any specific examples of any negligence by Robles, saying details will be released if he is indicted.

"The bus is under his care, custody and control, and so is everyone on board," he said. "Safe transportation from the nursing home to the final destination is his responsibility. Based on the end result, he failed in that responsibility."

There was no immediate comment from the bus company, Global Limo Inc., which was shut down by federal regulators Oct. 7 as a hazard the public. Its telephone has been disconnected.

Peritz said the investigation was continuing and additional charges could be filed.

Each of the 23 counts of criminally negligent homicide carries up to two years behind bars and a $10,000 fine.

The bus erupted in flames about 16 hours after leaving Houston. Some passengers and the driver escaped, but the flames, fed by 18 medical oxygen tanks, trapped many inside.

From the beginning, investigators focused on the condition of the bus brakes. A motorist told investigators he motioned the driver to pull over shortly after seeing a rear wheel hub that was glowing red.

Authorities said Robles did not mention the encounter with the other driver when they interviewed him after the fire.

Sheriff Lupe Valdez said investigators also found no evidence that Robles helped several people off the bus before it was engulfed in flames, which was widely reported after the explosion.

"After an exhausting number of interviews, we have been unable to confirm any of those claims," Valdez said in a statement.

However, Peritz said a failure to help crash victims was not part of the charges against Robles.

Robles did not have a lawyer Monday. The Mexican Consulate said it would provide him with legal help.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has said that the bus' right rear brakes failed because of the loss of bearings, and that the left rear brakes were "not maintained in good working order."

Phil's Observaions
Let's see. Mexian resident. Immigration violation. Didn't help passengers. Didn't disclose other motorist warning during questioning. What else needs to be said?

Phil's Observation's about My Buddy Aaron

2005-10-16T00:29:00.000-05:00

Regular readers of Phil's Observations know that Phil is generally open-minded about most things. New readers may need a refresher, so skip past the next paragraph if you're not new:)

My ideology dictates the following about me: a) abortion is killing a child and is wrong b) people who do things with malicious intent should suffer some sort of punishment c) anyone who hurts a child should be executed immediately upon conviction d) the prosecutor and public defender should have the same resources available to do do their clients justice and e) if you have a negative personality, I don't want to be around you.

OK, that part is done for the newbies. So I have this buddy, Aaron, who I have known since my freshman year in college. We roomed together one year, and worked together for two. Back in those days, we could get into some really intense discussions about politics. I never thought anyone could be more right wing that him. I would have to offer up some common sense and bring him back to reality. He would get very boisterous in his arguements. Trust me, I got a few good laughs out of what he said. But he was really confident in his opinions, and vary rarely ever changed his view. I never considered myself a liberal, but next to my buddy, I was like Howard Dean. Fast forward a decade and a half later. After some career changes and moving around a little bit, we hooked up again maybe five years ago. While Aaron was still gung-ho republican, he wasn't as dedicated to the party as he had been back in college. So we've kept in touch over the last five years, getting togther every 3-4 months for dinner & drinks. It was his last visit over to my kneck of the woods that it finally hit me: My right-wing republican buddy was going liberal.

He started bashing Bush and other republicans. He says he now favors unions. He says now he believes the corporate America is out to ruin the little guy. He now says that Clinton did a lot of good while in office. He now things entitlements are good for the "common man". Aaron even said the "republican party left him." I couldn't believe it. My friend was becoming more liberal, and I was becoming more conservative. As we grow older and get more life experience, our views and opinions often evolve. What shocked me was how much we had changed since our college days, only a little more than a decade ago.

You see, my friend, and I have told him this, doesn't get it yet. It's more than political parties. I'm not a republican. I'm not a democrat. But I do have an ideology that dicates who I am. Whomever best fits my ideology gets my support and vote. Yeah, most of the time I vote for someone under the republican party. But not always. Yeah, most of the time when I write to a political leader, it's to a republican. But not always. Get over the party affiliation crap. Get over the extremism. Get over the acedamia. Get over the apathy. Support who you want because s/he satisfies your ideology.

I write quite a bit to my local, state, and federal representatives. Both in support of and against their position, I want to make sure that specific person knew what I wanted out of them. I encourage you to do the same. Isn't that democracy is all about?

Oh, and for those of you regular readers who like to challenge me on this, my answer is yes, I know we are a represntative government, not a pure democracy. And that is why my vote counts to get rid of my representative doesn't do what I want.

Be safe. Enjoy Life.

Supreme Court ... Harriet Miers

2005-10-16T00:26:00.000-05:00

Ya know, I am getting some pretty good laughs from both parties of the political spectrum when it comes to this nomination. I don't know enough about the nominee to make a sound decision. I do know enough about the President to make a sound decision. So what has Phil decided?

Awww, come on, you should know by now!

Sit back, take it all in, enjoy people making idiots of themselves, and then decide whether or not I support this nominee.

That wasn't so hard, now was it?

White Man Declined Membership to Black Caucus

2005-10-10T20:34:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Rep. Stacy Campfield may seem an unlikely candidate for his state's black caucus. But the white Republican said he wants to join the group to serve a segment of his constituency better.

But Campfield's membership to the caucus was rejected and the state representative says it's because of the color of his skin.

"Only blacks can become full members — full and equal members," Campfield said. "I think that's the definition of racism."

The chairman of the caucus, Johnny Shaw, says at first he dismissed Campfield's request as a joke. Now, however, he thinks Campfield has other motives.

"I think the issue is money. He probably wants to know how we spend our money," Shaw said.

Shaw pointed out that the caucus meetings are open to anyone, and that the group offers honorary memberships.

But he has not changed his initial decision to deny Campfield a full membership.

In one press interview, Campfield compared the caucus' membership policies to that of the Ku Klux Klan, a statement that drew the ire of the NAACP, which demanded that the freshman representative resign.

Stefanie Lindquist, a professor of law and political science at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, said the case sets the Constitution against itself.

"You have, in effect, one piece of the Constitution pitted against another piece of the Constitution — the First Amendment freedom of association pitted against the equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment," she said. "Hard to say which one will win out."

Phil's Observations
Ya know, this drives me nuts. This caucus is exactly what many have fought against: groups that discriminate because of race. And then the damn leader of the group suspects alterior motives. Maybe the guy just wanted to learn about his constituents? For Christ's sake, when the hell are people going to stop discriminating because of race? We're in the 21st century. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!

Blog Spam

2005-10-06T22:23:00.000-05:00

I was in Minneapolis this week visiting a client. I - like some forgetful seasoned citizen - forgot something. My laptop. I just about died. Flight coming home was late due to traffic issues at ORD. I'm not sure anything will fix the traffice issue at O'Hare. So I just got home a little while ago, and start searching the e-mail for important messages. I have 10 comments on the blog. I found that odd, simply because I haven't posted in a while. All of the frickin comments were spam. I deleted them all, and added a verification process to see if it will reduce or stop it. Now I'm pissed at the idots who need to spam personal blogs to try to raise cash.

Trip was good, thanks for asking. Not going to give any details.

The Air America Saga

2005-09-29T20:26:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of WorldNetDaily

Air America, the liberal radio answer to Rush Limbaugh, is now asking its listeners to send in money, leading some analysts to say the network is "crumbling."

The network, featuring voices including Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo, has developed a program where people become "associate" members by contributing cash.

On its website, Air America lists the benefits of membership, stating, "In return for your help, we'll send you a monthly Associates insider e-mail with the backstage news from our shows and our headquarters. When we take Air America Radio on the road, we'll invite you to meet our hosts and progressive leaders in your community. And for gifts of $50 and up, we've got free stuff to send you."

Among the "free stuff," Air America is giving contributors three bumper stickers to help spread word about the programming. Gifts of $100 or more entitle listeners to "a stylin' yet functional tote bag," and for those donating at least $250, "our hosts and staff will personally thank you at this level of giving on AirAmericaRadio.com and on the air."

"We know we can't achieve this next stage of growth without significant help from you, our loyal listeners," said the network in an e-mail to supporters, according to Mediaweek, which said the "unusual move for commercial radio" was "more common to noncommercial stations and political action committees."

The problems at Air America were the subject of a segment tonight on "The O'Reilly Factor" on the Fox News Channel.

"It is really almost comical that they're putting on these sort of panhandling pleas to their audience members," WorldNetDaily columnist Michelle Malkin told Bill O'Reilly, saying bad content was key to the demise. "They've got a trail of debts, a trail of creditors. There's two stories really here. The crumbling of Air America, and the failure and the refusal of the rest of the mainstream media to cover it as a financial, political and entertainment media story."

Malkin was among the first writers to document a scandal at the network, involving hundreds of thousands of dollars reportedly diverted from the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club in New York to Air America. The network recently repaid the club $875,000 after the word of the diversion seeped into the national media.

>Radio analyst Brian Maloney told O'Reilly, who also hosts a radio talk show, the company clearly had a bad business model, and he's not sure it can survive.

"As things stand now, they may be down to their last couple of months," Maloney said, "but that could change at any moment if [George] Soros or one of the other big guns comes in, steps to the plate and puts up some cash. But otherwise, I think things are looking bleak. They're overpaying the air talent, they're fending off lawsuits, they're overspending. They just put a brand new studio facility in. They didn't need that. That was at Franken's insistence and now he's not even going to use it. He's moving to Minnesota. So they're wasting money, they're not bringing it in. It's a mess." But some, like media instructor Donna Halper at Emerson College in Boston, are not so sure the network's obituary should be written just yet.

"The early stumbles of a new network like Air America prove nothing," Halper, a radio consultant for 25 years, told WND. "The fact is that most talk-show hosts, no matter what their politics, have to build an audience and a commercial base slowly. Some will succeed, others will vanish."

As WND recently reported, a California radio station pleaded for advertisers to sponsor the liberal programming of Air America shows it broadcasts, claiming it could not get a single ad.

Limbaugh reacted to that news, saying, "I think this is the lesson for all of you who wish to show some sort of financial revenue income by carrying liberal radio. You have to orient yourself to fund-raising, not commerce. Commerce has never been part of the recipe here. ... You are doing something good for the cause."

"Clinton" and "Lewinsky" become condom brand names

2005-09-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of

A condom maker in southern China's Guangdong province is marketing its products under "Clinton" and "Lewinsky" brands and has registered the names as trademarks, state press said.

The Guangzhou Haojian Bio-science Co is selling its wares under the Chinese spelling of the names that read "Kelintun" and "Laiwensiji," the New Express reported.

The names in China are easily recognizable as former US president Bill Clinton and his one time lover, Monica Lewinsky.

The Clinton brand is set to be the company's top product selling for some 30 yuan (3.7 dollars) for a pack of 12, while the Lewinsky brand was expected to fetch 18 yuan.

The company unveiled the product on Monday. General manager Liu Wenhua expressed confidence the names would not get him into trouble since they are only "trademarks of two foreign surnames and can't be seen as a violation of rights," the report said.

Phil's Observations
Oh, come on... It couldn't get any easier than this.

2-4-1: Another One Too Good To Let Go ...

2005-09-26T20:13:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of

Two residents of a New Mexico town are suing to remove three crosses from the official town seal. The suit says "the crosses serve no governmental purpose other than to disenfranchise and discredit non-Christian citizens" and accuses the city of violating the plaintiff's constitutional right to religious freedom, invading their privacy, and violating the civil rights act of 1964. The mayor says he plans to fight the lawsuit since, he says, the crosses have a historical reason for being in the logo. After all, the town in question is Las Cruces, which is Spanish for "The Crosses."

This One Is Just Too Good To Forget ...

2005-09-26T20:10:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of

Cindy Sheehan grumbled this weekend that cable news networks were paying more attention to Hurricane Rita than to her anti-war rally in Washington, posting a message on the liberal Web site writing, "i am watching cnn and it is 100 percent rita...even though it is a little wind and a little rain...it is bad, but there are other things going on in the country today...and in the world!!!!"

That was too much even for some Daily Kos readers. One responded, "shame on you, you're jealous of media coverage of other's suffering," while another wrote, "The right-wing media has painted you as a self-centered, self-absorbed woman and you're living up to that image." Sheehan later posted an apology.

A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words

2005-09-11T07:45:00.000-05:00

Nothing else needs to be said.

Closed Grade School Morphed into Community Center

2005-09-09T07:22:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of

LEAF RIVER -- Mark and Andrea Pellini have spent more than 100 hours at the shuttered Leaf River Grade School working with other parents to prepare the building for its new role as a community center.
Residents angered by the school's closing last year opted to turn their frustrations into action.
Forrestville Valley School District officials voted to close the school in March 2004, citing financial concerns for the district. The move displaced about 160 students and staff members who eventually were absorbed into other district schools.
Parents packed School Board meetings to protest the decision, many wearing save-the-school T-shirts and carrying signs. At one point, they tried to sue the School District, but the effort failed.
When the building turned up for sale this year, the village approached the School District with the community center plan in mind. The district complied, selling the building to the village of Leaf River for $1.
"The town had mixed emotions about buying it," Mark Pellini said. "Now that it's been purchased, the community has put a lot of effort into the building and gotten it to a good point."
Parents and residents have spent countless hours cleaning, painting and getting the building in working shape. An eight-member board has been appointed to oversee the center's activities.
The building at 608 Main St. now carries the name River Valley Complex. An open house is set for Saturday.
The building has a big gym, so Pellini said the group wants to lure sports leagues to practice and play there. The Leaf River Lions Club spent about $3,000 on kitchen renovations, meaning the building can host wedding, anniversary, birthday and holiday receptions or family reunions.
Village Hall offices and the Police Department have moved into the building. It has 21 rooms, and about four are completely occupied. Pellini said the board is willing to rent out classroom space for small businesses. He added that interest already has surfaced for that plan.
Weights and other fitness equipment were donated, so the group hopes to one day hold open gym nights two to three times a week for residents. They also envision holding activities like tumbling, cake-decorating or CPR.
The land also includes two baseball diamonds and the school's old football field. Village officials maintain the building's exterior, and volunteers oversee the interior work.
"Our purpose was that it wasn't going to sit there and rot," Pellini said. "It's gonna be used. It's a large complex that we can do a lot with. We see a lot of potential good coming out of it."
The Lions Club hosts a variety/talent show fundraiser for the complex at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at the building. If you can't attend Saturday's open house but would like to donate to the cause, call Mark or Andrea Pellini at 815-738-2712.

Phil's Observations
What a great example of a community coming together.

NSA Advisor Berger Sentenced

2005-09-08T19:33:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of

WASHINGTON — Sandy Berger, President Clinton's national security adviser who was once entrusted with the nation's most sensitive secrets, was fined $50,000 Thursday for taking classified documents from the National Archives.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson handed down the punishment in federal court, stiffening the $10,000 fine recommended by government lawyers. Under the deal, Berger avoids prison time but he must surrender access to classified government materials for three years.

"The court finds the fine is inadequate because it doesn't reflect the seriousness of the offense," Robinson said, as a grim-faced Berger stood silently.

She also sentenced Berger to two years' probation and 100 hours of community service.

Earlier in the hearing, Berger made a short emotional plea that admitted fault and expressed remorse for his crime.

"I let considerations of personal convenience override clear rules of handling classified material," said Berger, calling his actions a lapse of judgment that came while he was preparing to testify before the Sept. 11 commission last year.

"In this case, I failed. I will not again," he said.

The sentencing capped a bizarre sequence of events in which Berger admitted to sneaking classified documents out of the National Archives in his suit, later destroying some of them in his office and then lying about it.

Berger's lawyer, Lanny Breuer, said his client will not appeal the sentence.

The Bush administration disclosed the investigation in July 2004, just days before the Sept. 11 commission issued its final report. Democrats claimed the White House was using Berger to deflect attention from the harsh findings, with their potential for damaging President Bush's re-election prospects.

Initially saying his actions were an "honest mistake," Berger later pleaded guilty in April to a misdemeanor of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material, which contained information relating to terror threats in the United States during the 2000 millennium celebration.

During Thursday's hearing, Breuer characterized Berger as an official eager to get the facts of the Sept. 11 attacks right when he improperly took classified documents and handwritten notes from the Archives.

"The tragedy of 9/11 weighed heavily on him," Breuer said.

Robinson repeatedly questioned Breuer and government lawyers about a provision in federal law that calls for examining a defendant's financial background when issuing punishments. Both attorneys responded that they believed a $10,000 fine was still appropriate.

The Associated Press first reported in July 2004 that the Justice Department was investigating Berger. The disclosure prompted Berger to step down as an adviser to the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

Clinton was among the Democrats who questioned the timing of the disclosure of the Berger probe three days before the release of the Sept. 11 report. Leaders of the Sept. 11 commission said they were able to get every key document needed to complete their report.

Phil's Observations
I wonder what kind of things he did while he was in office ....

I'm Angry

2005-09-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of

WASHINGTON — The government's $5 billion effort to help small businesses recover from the Sept. 11 attacks was so loosely managed that it gave low-interest loans to companies that didn't need terrorism relief — or even know they were getting it, The Associated Press has found.

And while some at New York's Ground Zero couldn't get assistance they desperately sought, companies far removed from the devastation — a South Dakota country radio station, a Virgin Islands perfume shop, a Utah dog boutique and more than 100 Dunkin' Donuts and Subway sandwich shops — had no problem winning the government-guaranteed loans.

Dentists and chiropractors in numerous cities, as well as an Oregon winery that sold trendy pinot noir to New York City restaurants also got assistance.

"That's scary. Nine-11 had nothing to do with this," said James Munsey, a Virginia entrepreneur who described himself as "beyond shocked" to learn his nearly $1 million loan to buy a special events company in Richmond was drawn from the Sept. 11 program.

"It would have been inappropriate for me to take this kind of loan," he said, noting that the company he bought suffered no ill effects from Sept. 11.

Arvind "Andy" Patel, 50, said he used his $350,000 loan in fall 2002 to remodel his Dunkin' Donuts shop in western New York state and never knew it was drawn through the Sept. 11 program.

"Not at all," Patel answered, when asked whether his business had been hurt by the attacks.

Government officials said they believe banks assigned some loans to the terror relief program without telling borrowers. Neither the government nor its participating banks said they could provide figures on how many businesses got loans that way.

But AP's nationwide investigation located businesses in dozens of states who said they did not know their loans were drawn from the Sept. 11 programs, suggesting at least hundreds of millions of dollars went to unwitting recipients.

The Small Business Administration, which administered the two programs that doled out Sept. 11 recovery loans, said it first learned of the problems through AP's review and was weighing whether an investigation was needed. But officials also acknowledged they intended to spread the post-Sept. 11 aid broadly because so many unexpected industries were hurt.

"We started seeing business [needing help] in areas you wouldn't think of — tourism, crop dusting, trade and transportation. ... So there were a lot of examples you wouldn't think of, at first blush," SBA Administrator Hector Barre to told AP.

In all, the government provided, approved or guaranteed nearly $4.9 billion in loans, and took credit for saving 20,000 jobs. That would put the average cost of saving a job at about a quarter million dollars each.

Of the 19,000 loans approved by the two programs, fewer than 11 percent went to companies in New York City and Washington, according to an AP computer analysis of loan records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

"I had nothing here," said Shirla Yam, who runs a clothing store in the former shadows of the twin towers that got a $20,000 grant from a local advocacy group but no federal aid after Sept. 11. "I don't know if I'll be here next month."

Under one of the programs, SBA lent money directly to companies that provided detailed statements on how they were hurt. The other program provided incentives — and guaranteed loans from default — so banks could lend money to companies they determined were hurt by the post-Sept. 11 economic downturn.

Most loans were well below market rates — as low as 4 percent, documents show.

SBA officials acknowledged the second program, the Supplementary Terrorism Activity Relief (STAR), left banks on an honor system to determine worthy loan recipients.

"One lender could have been really strict and specific about the borrower providing the documentation to prove that they were affected by the Sept. 11 attacks, and another banker may not have, or may have had ulterior motives for approving loans," said SBA spokeswoman Carol Chastang.

SBA documents obtained by AP show banks had a strong incentive to approve as many loans as possible from the terror program. The banks profited from the interest while incurring little risk because the government guaranteed 75 percent to 85 percent of each loan.

And the annual fee the lenders paid to SBA to get the government guarantee was slashed from 0.5 percent to 0.25 percent — meaning lenders saved an additional $5,000 a year for every $2 million they loaned under STAR.

"There was definitely an advantage to the lender to get that reduced fee," said Christopher Chavez, an SBA official in Colorado. He said he suspects lenders might not always have talked to businesses about damage from Sept. 11 before moving loans into STAR.

While SBA officials expressed surprise at AP's findings, banking officials said the agency encouraged the industry to use the post-Sept. 11 programs liberally, especially when its normal guaranteed lending program was hit by steep budget cuts in 2002.

"They had personnel at our conference stand up and say if you cannot find a reason to move the loan over to the STAR program, contact us and we'll help you find a reason to move it over," recalled Tony Wilkinson, president of the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders.

A bank that provided an SBA-backed loan to a trucking firm in Indiana acknowledged it did not tell the recipient about the Sept. 11 connection. "We don't have any indication there was any communication or provisions we shared with the client that these were funds from the government used to support them from Sept. 11," said Pat Schubah, first vice president of small business banking at Indianapolis-based Union Federal.

Major lenders like Wachovia and Wells Fargo declined to say how many loans they shifted into the terror relief program, saying only that they followed the law.

Wells Fargo, the nation's second largest SBA lender, said the STAR program enabled lenders "to provide funds to new and mature businesses impacted by 9/11" and the bank "continues to strictly adhere to SBA operational standards for all SBA loan originations."

Many loans went to local outlets of some of America's most famous and lucrative companies. For instance, 55 Dunkin' Donuts shops across the country, 14 Quiznos sandwich shops and 52 Subway sandwich shops got loans. Fourteen Dairy Queens — part of the ice cream franchise partly owned by Wall Street billionaire Warren Buffett — won more than $5 million in loans.

"I just applied for the loan at the bank. I had no idea where the funds came from," said Tom Mayl, who got two SBA Sept. 11 loans totaling more than $800,000 to open a Subway shop in suburban Dayton, Ohio, and a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Sidney, Ohio.

"It doesn't seem right, just on the surface, but I really don't know the details," Mayl said.

Don Robinson said he too didn't need or ask for terrorism relief when he got a $765,000 government-backed loan in 2003 — drawn without his knowledge from the Sept. 11 program — to start a motorcycle shop in Brigham City, Utah.

"Actually, the motorcycle industry grew after 9/11," Robinson said. "People just took their money out of the stock market to buy toys."

Dentists and chiropractors also were frequent, but unwitting, beneficiaries. "They weren't putting their health second to anything else," chiropractor Colby Shores said of his patients in the suburbs of Rochester, N.Y. He was unaware his $87,000 loan with a 4 percent interest rate came from the terror relief program.

The loan patterns uncovered by AP left some seething in the neighborhoods directly scarred by Sept. 11.

"You have to take it back and give it to us. Even now, I could use it," said Mike Yagudayev, who said the SBA would only provide him $20,000 of a $70,000 loan he requested to rebuild his hair salon flattened by the collapse of World Trade Center towers in New York.

"I said, `You know what, take it back. Twenty thousand is like an insult,"' he recalled.

Thousands of businesses far from the devastation had no trouble getting SBA loans, simply submitting short applications that linked their slow business to the widespread economic fallout caused by Sept. 11. For instance:

—Karl Grimmelmann, general manager of KBFS-AM "Hit Kickin' Country" in Belle Fourche, S.D., borrowed $135,000 from SBA's disaster program after learning about it from a news release. He said his station was forced to pay more money to cover national news and also lost advertisers. "Everybody started holding onto their money, plain and simple," he said.

—Margie Olson, co-owner of the Torii Mor Winery in McMinnville, Ore., said her business needed a $125,000 loan because it couldn't sell high-end pinot noir to Manhattan restaurants that had closed. "Everyone started hitting the heavy stuff," Olson said, laughing.

—Melva Kravitz, co-owner of the Little Dogs Resort & Salon in Salt Lake City that offers boarding and grooming services for small dogs, said people stopped taking vacations and boarding their pets after Sept. 11, requiring her $50,000 loan. "It was awful," she said. "You just couldn't go on."

—Christine Hilty, co-owner of Violettes Boutique on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, said the perfume shop lost 60 percent of its business overnight as tourism stopped. She got a $169,500 loan from SBA. "Would we have closed our doors? It was close," she said. "Everyone was afraid to get on a plane. Tourism was totally halted."

Though the loan programs have ended, the government is inheriting a residual burden. Already, taxpayers have been forced to cover about 600 defaulted disaster loans — some approaching $1 million each — from companies that went bankrupt or closed. More defaults are expected.

Jim Hammersley, who runs the SBA's collection arm, said many applicants asked for too much or too little money to keep their businesses afloat.

"The folks that were dealing with the aftermath of 9/11 didn't have anything that certain to try and gauge whether they needed money or how much they needed," he said.

Phil's Obervations
I'm angry at the negligence and stupidy. My tax dollars wasted again. I usually support the SBA, but this is pathetic. And the fact that our Congress wrote the laws/guidelines/rules so loosely pisses me off.

Racism Card Played Again ... And Again ... And Again

2005-09-04T16:19:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of

Racism is partly to blame for the deadly aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said, calling President Bush's response to the disaster "incompetent."

"Today, as the President comes to Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi for his ceremonial trip to look at the victims of the devastation, he would do well to have a plan more significant than a ceremonial tour," Jackson said Friday.

"His whole response is unacceptable."

Bush has acknowledged that the federal response has not been acceptable, but promised that the government would get supplies to survivors and crack down on violence in New Orleans.

Jackson questioned why Bush has not named blacks to top positions in the federal response to the disaster, particularly when the majority of victims remaining stranded in New Orleans are black: "How can blacks be locked out of the leadership, and trapped in the suffering?"

"It is that lack of sensitivity and compassion that represents a kind of incompetence."

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Russell Honore, head of the military task force overseeing operations in the three states, is black. His task force is providing search and rescue, medical help and sending supplies to the three states in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Jackson was in Baton Rouge to take part in a local project using a caravan of buses to pick up people stranded in New Orleans and transport them out. He spoke at a news conference at the state emergency center.

The civil rights leader said the flooding that caused thousands to be trapped inside the city was caused by a lack of federal funding for its levee system and hurricane planning. The resulting tragedy, he said, has largely hit New Orleans' black residents, because they were too poor to evacuate before the storm hit.

"There's a historical indifference to the pain of poor people and black people" in this country, he said.

Jackson also said the news media has "criminalized the people of New Orleans" by focusing on violence in the city.

Phil's Observations
I think Jesse forgot to mention that the vast majority of New Orlean's government is controlled by his race. The majority of the now-wiped-out New Orleans was also controlled by corruption, all the way up and down the line. Remember, according to Jackson, all blacks appointed by Bush are just figure heads that follow his every lead and have no power. Yet, he still calls for more. Can't you ever get your story straight, Jesse? You even screwed up your marriage by having an affair and a child out of wedlock. Hmmmmm ....

Cindy Sheehan Glad Bush Didn't Come Out To Meet Her

2005-08-31T23:29:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of

CRAWFORD, Texas - A woman who led an anti-war protest for nearly a month near President Bush’s ranch said Tuesday that she’s glad Bush never showed up to discuss her son’s death in Iraq, saying the president’s absence “galvanized the peace movement.”

Cindy Sheehan’s comments came as war protesters packed up their campsite near the ranch and prepared to leave Tuesday for a three-week bus tour.

“I look back on it, and I am very, very, very grateful he did not meet with me, because we have sparked and galvanized the peace movement,” Sheehan told The Associated Press. “If he’d met with me, then I would have gone home, and it would have ended there.” (Didn't you protest by saying that you wanted President Bush to come out and talk with you. You mean the whole thing was a front? a fraud? It was all about you? No way, I don't believe it!!)

Sheehan and about 50 other peace activists arrived in the one-stoplight town Aug. 6, the day after she spoke at a Veterans for Peace convention in Dallas. She and a few others spent that night in chairs in ditches, without food or flashlights, off the main road leading to the president’s ranch. (You mean she actually camped out this time? I could swear I saw photos and video footage of you actually protesting, then going away to relax and revitalize!!)

The Vacaville, Calif., woman vowed to stay until Bush’s monthlong vacation ended unless she could question him about the war that claimed the life of her 24-year-old son Casey and more than 1,870 other U.S. soldiers. (This was all about her, not her son. She just completely dishonored and disrespected him and his memory)

‘Love and support’
Two top Bush administration officials talked to Sheehan the first day, but the president never did — although he has said that he sympathizes with her and acknowledged her right to protest. His vacation is to end Wednesday, two days early, so he can monitor federal efforts to help victims of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast.

Sheehan’s vigil attracted crowds of other anti-war demonstrators. Most stayed a few hours or days at the original roadside camp or at the second, larger site about a mile away on a private lot offered by a sympathetic landowner.

The massive response has transformed her life, she said. (Gee, could it be because all those whacko liberal organizations came to your aid?!?!}

“I thought our country was going down, down, down. I thought nobody cared about our children killed in the war, but millions care, and millions care about our country and want to make it better,” she said. “The love and support I’ve received give me hope that my life can someday be normal.” (Stop centering your life around you, and you might actually be able to live a normal life)

The protest also sparked counter rallies by Bush supporters who accused Sheehan of using her son’s death to push the liberal agenda of groups supporting her. Critics also said the anti-war demonstration was hurting U.S. troop morale while boosting the Iraqi insurgency.

Many Bush supporters pointed out that Sheehan never spoke against Bush or the war when she and other grieving families met the president about two months after her son died last year.

Anti-war tour
Sheehan said she was still in shock over Casey’s death during that meeting. She said she became enraged after independent reports disputed Bush administration claims that Saddam Hussein had chemical and biological weapons — a main justification for the March 2003 invasion.

After leaving Crawford, protesters will spread their message on a three-week “Bring Them Home Now Tour” with stops in 25 states. Buses on three routes will meet in Washington, D.C., for a Sept. 24 anti-war march.

Sheehan will leave the tour next week to spend time with her family, including her mother who recently suffered a stroke, which caused Sheehan to miss a week of the protest.

Phil's Observations

The one and only post on this ... this ... this ... excuse for a mom.

Iraqi's Want To Live ...

2005-08-31T23:22:00.000-05:00

Cuortesy of

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Panicked by rumors of a bomber, thousands of Shiite pilgrims broke into a stampede on a bridge during a religious procession Wednesday, crushing one another or plunging 30 feet into the muddy Tigris river. About 800 died, mostly women and children, officials said.

Hundreds of lost sandals littered the two-lane bridge while children floundered in the waters below, trying to reach dry land. The tragedy was the single biggest loss of life known in Iraq since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

"We heard that a suicide attacker was among the crowd," said Fadhel Ali, 28, barefoot and soaking wet on the riverbank. "Everybody was yelling, so I jumped from the bridge into the river, swam and reached the bank. I saw women, children and old men falling after me into the water."

The crowd was on edge because of the 110-degree heat, a mortar barrage near the Shiite shrine where they were headed and the ever-present fear of homicide bombers, etched into memories after repeated attacks against large religious gatherings. Seven people died in the mortar barrage three hours before the stampede, the U.S. military said.

Police later said they found no explosives at the bridge — either on any individual or in any cars parked nearby. Instead, poor crowd control and the climate of fear in Iraq after years of bullets, bombings and bloodshed appeared largely to have caused the horrific carnage.

Marchers jammed up at a checkpoint at the western edge of the Imams bridge, which has been closed to civilians for months to prevent movement by extremists between the Shiite neighborhood of Kazimiyah and the Sunni district of Azamiyah across the river.

"This tragedy was the direct result of terrorism; hundreds of innocent people, mostly women and children, have died because of the fear and panic that terrorists are sowing in Iraq," NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in a statement.

Defense Minister Saadoun al-Dulaimi, a Sunni, said three bombers were stopped Wednesday some distance from the shrine, but "blew themselves up before reaching their destination."

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington that he was not aware of any evidence that the stampede on the bridge was caused by a bombing.

Others blamed the government and the U.S.-trained security forces.

"Early security measures should have been taken to protect the lives of citizens and organize their processions," Iraqi Communist Party leader Hameed Majid Mousa told Al-Arabiya television. "We all know that there are terrorists who lie in wait for such events and prepare to ambush the people. ... Why are the processions not organized?"

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, told state-run Iraqiya television that "the government should take measures for an honest investigation to determine how failures doubled the casualties."

The marchers were commemorating the death in the year 799 of Imam Moussa ibn Jaafar al-Kadhim, one of the 12 principle Shiite saints who is buried in a mosque in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of Kazimiyah.

Since the 2003 ouster of Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, the Shiite political parties have encouraged huge turnouts at religious festivals to display the majority sect's power in the new Iraq. Sunni religious extremists have often targeted the gatherings to foment sectarian war, but that has not stopped the Shiites.

The ceremonies have often been chaotic, with huge crowds overtaxing the ability of police and security services to protect them. Television reports said about 1 million pilgrims from Baghdad and outlying provinces had gathered near the shrine on Wednesday.

Reflecting the confusion, casualty figures from various government agencies also varied widely. The Health Ministry said 769 people were killed and 307 wounded, while the Interior Ministry put the figure at 844 dead and 458 injured. The country's biggest Shiite party gave figures of 759 dead and 300 wounded. Other reports estimated the death toll would climb above 1,000.

"Pushing started when a rumor was spread by a terrorist who claimed that there was a person with an explosive belt, which caused panic," Interior Minister Bayn Jabr said. "Some fell from the bridge, others fell on the barricades" and were trampled to death.

No official offered any evidence that Sunni insurgents were directly responsible for spreading the false rumor.

Scores of bodies covered with white sheets lay on the sidewalk outside one hospital under the broiling sun because the morgue was packed. Many of them were women in black gowns, as well as children and old men.

Sobbing relatives wandered among the dead, lifting the sheets to try to identify their kin. When they found them, they would shriek in grief, pound their chests or collapse to the ground, sobbing.

Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shiite, declared a three-day mourning period.

In other violence, a U.S. soldier was killed and three were wounded Wednesday when a bomb exploded in the city of Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said. The military also said another American soldier was killed Tuesday by a bomb in Iskandariyah, 30 miles south of Baghdad.

The several mortar and rockets fired at the Shiite neighborhood before the march struck about 600 yards from the Imam Kadhim shrine, the U.S. military said. U.S. Apache helicopters fired at the attackers.

In March 2004 homicide attackers struck worshippers at the Imam Kadhim shrine and a holy site in Karbala, killing at least 181 overall.

The head of the country's major Sunni clerical group, the Association of Muslim Scholars, told Al-Jazeera television that Wednesday's disaster was "another catastrophe and something else that could be added to the list of ongoing Iraqi tragedies."

"On this occasion we want to express our condolences to all the Iraqis and the parents of the martyrs, who fell today in Kazimiyah and all over Iraq," said the cleric, Haith al-Dhari.

Phil's Observations
It seems clear to me that the everyday, common Iraqi's want to live. You see, it is the extreme finatics and terrorists that don't care if they die killing the infidels. The others want to live and prosper. Fuck those who think the everyday Iraqi man, woman, or child doesn't want us there to give them freedom.

Corporate Citizenship: Remember the Companies Who Cared

2005-08-31T23:19:00.000-05:00

Phil's Observation
The corporate world is riddiculed often. Always out for the big buck, screw the little guy, you know, stuff like that. But we need to remember that just like there are rotten apples out there, there are a few good ones, too. Like these ...

Pharmaceutical companies rounded up much-needed medicine, water suppliers loaded trucks with thirst-quenching cargo and companies from petroleum giants to beer makers pitched in millions in cash and products Wednesday to help communities battered by Hurricane Katrina.

The efforts to collect money and goods to help the Gulf Coast rebuild gathered momentum Wednesday as officials continued assessing the damage from one of the nation's worst natural disasters.

American Red Cross spokeswoman Sarah Marchetti said at least 30 companies had made donations by Wednesday morning, and the number was expected to climb.

"They've been pouring in," she said.

In Indianapolis, drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) prepared to send 40,000 vials of refrigerated insulin to patients in the Southeast, along with at least $1 million in cash to the American Red Cross.

"We're poised to ship as soon as we get the OK," Lilly spokesman Edward Sagebiel said.

Drug maker Wyeth (WYE) of Madison, N.J., planned to donate antibiotics and nonprescription pain relievers, health care giant Johnson & Johnson provided $250,000 worth of kits containing toothbrushes, soap and shampoo, as well as pallets of pain relievers and wound care supplies. Drug maker Merck & Co. (MRK) planned to send antibiotics and hepatitis A vaccines to protect those facing contaminated waters.

"Our commitment is open-ended," said Merck spokeswoman Janet Skidmore.

Illinois-based pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories Inc. is giving $2 million cash and at least $2 million in nutritional and medical products.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said initial corporate donations to the relief efforts could total more than $100 million.

Hank Goldstein, chairman of Giving USA in Glenview, Ill., said individual and corporate donations combined could reach $1 billion.

But he predicted the corporate relief effort would be smaller than those recorded after the 2001 terrorist attacks and the tsunami that ravaged Asia in December.

"This kind of money comes quick and comes early and then falls off fast after that," Goldstein said. "It will abate along with the water."

Donations Wednesday already had reached well into the millions and included $5 million from Chevron Corp., $3 million each from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup, $2 million from Pfizer and $1 million from insurer State Farm.

The Walt Disney Co. contributed $2.5 million, $1 million of which will go to the American Red Cross and the rest for rebuilding efforts and volunteer centers helping affected communities.

The contributions also included 50 trucks donated by Nissan North America to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, more than 825,000 cans of water supplied by Anheuser-Busch (BUD) in St. Louis and 3,000 walkie talkie-type phones for emergency personnel from Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) Kellogg Co. (K) of Battle Creek, Mich., sent seven truckloads of crackers and cookies to hard-hit areas. General Motors Corp. (GM) also planned to donate 25 cars and trucks to the Red Cross.

Qwest Communications International Inc. will send 2,000 long-distance calling cards so those affected could call loved ones, said spokesman Michael Dunne. He said Denver-based Qwest also has given the Red Cross $230,000 to help train responders.

Home improvement companies Home Depot (HD) and Lowe's (LOW) pledged cash and manpower, while Culligan International of Northbrook, Ill., sent five truckloads of water to residents in Alabama and Mississippi.

The water, part of a larger, 28-truck convoy organized by the Missouri-based Convoy of Hope, was traveling at 10 mph through Mississippi.

"It's very treacherous," said Mike Ennis, director of strategic initiatives at Convoy of Hope.

Office Depot (ODP) of Delray Beach, Fla., donated $1 million to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief efforts. Officials announced Wednesday the company also would give the contents of its five New Orleans stores, valued at $4 million, to New Orleans officials to use as they recover from Hurricane Katrina.

Spokesman Brian Levine said the contents include items such as printers, paper, cartridges, pens and notebooks. What might be available and its condition were unclear.

City officials on Wednesday commandeered equipment from a looted Office Depot. During a state of emergency, authorities have broad powers to take private supplies and buildings for their use.

But Levine couldn't say what condition the items might be in given the flooding that has ravaged the city.

"I couldn't tell you if it's completely flooded, a little flooded, or not," he said. "Our position is we're donating the contents of the entire store."

Katrina: Images of Destruction

2005-08-31T23:15:00.000-05:00