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Open thread 7/15
- By Phillip Brownlee
- Posted July 15, 2007 at 1:04 a.m.
- Filed under Open thread
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112 Comments
There is no doubt that troops could leave if allowed to do so. Wars and turf battles are nothing new to them. They would get the oil fields together for they also know how to repair equipment and sell oil to the USA.
Why american troops will not be allowed to leave. Control of the oil has not yet been turned over to USA and Briitish oil. BTW last week it was noted USA oil corporations are paying about $20 per barrel.
Iraqi Unions Fight the New Oil LawBy David Moberg
An Iraqi worker shuts down a pumping tube at the Iraqi Pipelines Company is Basra on June 5. Employees there recently went on strike, shutting down two pipelines carrying oil and gas products inside Iraq.
Iraq’s proposed oil law, which would open up control of the country’s oilfields to multinational corporations, is one of the Bush administration’s top political priorities. On July 3, Bush called Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to encourage him and other leaders to move “aggressively forward” on it, and as In These Times went to press, its latest draft appeared headed to the Iraqi Parliament for debate. Even if it passes, however, enacting it won’t be easy, as it faces strong opposition from Iraqi oil workers.
“It doesn’t serve the interests of the Iraqi people,” says Faleh Abood Umara, general secretary of the Basra-based Southern Oil Company Union and the Iraqi Federation of Oil Workers’ Unions. Umara recently toured the United States, advocating both national control of Iraqi oil assets and immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Umara says that the law—”written in the United States”—would permit joint ownership of many Iraqi oil fields by foreign companies, which could export much of the oil and profits from these fields for up to 35 years under what are called “production sharing agreements.”
“We want the national Iraqi oil company to make service contracts with the companies, not partnerships,” Umara said in an interview, shortly after dedicating a plaque that extolled international labor solidarity at the Chicago monument to the Haymarket workers, whose protests in 1886 led to the declaration of May Day as the international workers’ holiday.
“We want new technology for the production of oil but to have foreign companies work with Iraqi workers and professionals for a limited time,” he says. “We are not opposed to being developed with advanced and imported technology, but we would like to be sole owner of our wealth and use it to develop our country and cities.”
The proposed oil law partly would govern distribution of revenue, which Umara says the oil workers’ unions want directed to a national redevelopment fund. But the Bush administration has long wanted to give foreign oil companies as much control as possible over Iraqi oil fields. Under the law, the Iraqi national company would have to compete with foreign companies for production rights, Umara says. Antonia Juhasz, an analyst for the watchdog group Oil Change International, says that the law gives foreign oil companies great flexibility, with no requirement to hire or invest profits locally, and opens the door to the long-term production-sharing agreements that other Middle East oil-producing nations have rejected as exploitative.
The oil workers’ opposition to the law could prove a serious obstacle to the already much-delayed legislation. In June, oil pipeline workers struck for a week “for the rights of workers and against the proposed law,” including demands on companies to live up to promises for profit-sharing, affordable housing construction and other benefits, Umara says. Although the government had frozen union assets, issued warrants for union leaders’ arrests and even worsened the old labor law from Saddam’s era—preserved by the Provisional Coalition Authority—Umara says the 23,000-member union, representing 36,000 workers, is growing stronger. In 2003, the union forced Halliburton out of the oil fields, which inspired port workers to oust the Danish shipping company Maersk from the docks.
The oil workers’ union also wants U.S. troops to start withdrawing immediately. “I’d rather they withdraw yesterday than today,” Umara says. “I assure you, chaos will not happen, and even if it happened, I’m very sure we can solve our own problems.”
Different religious and ethnic groups cooperate now in a Basra controlled by the Iraqi security forces, he says. While the average oil worker still worries about security, their main concern is the future of Iraq’s oil.
“Most important,” says Umara, “is not to let that new oil law pass.”
David Moberg, a senior editor of In These Times, has been on the staff of the magazine since it began publishing. Before joining In These Times, he completed his work for a Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Chicago and worked for Newsweek. Recently he has received fellowships from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Nation Institute for research on the new global economy.
We’re All Gonna DieBy William Rivers PittFriday 13 July 2007
William Rivers Pitt is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of two books – ‘War on Iraq: What Team Bush Doesn’t Want You to Know’ and ‘The Greatest Sedition Is Silence.’
Who can forget the incredible scandal that erupted back in May of 2002? Around about the middle of that month, details began to emerge about the August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing that specifically warned Bush about Osama bin Laden’s determination to strike the United States.
Wait. Actually, everyone forgot, because two days later, the Bush administration unleashed a blizzard of dire warnings about impending terrorist attacks. FBI Director Robert Mueller intoned such attacks were “inevitable,” and the Department of Homeland Security announced the imminent, explosive destruction of all American railroads, along with the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
Who can forget the incredible scandal that erupted back in June of 2003? Over the course of two days, reports emerged about serious doubts held by the CIA regarding the credibility of the administration’s claim Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger. On the heels of this, Congress unfurled its 9/11 report, which criticized all levels of the Bush administration for its performance before and during the attacks.
Wait. Actually, everyone forgot, because the Bush administration unleashed another blizzard of warnings about impending terrorist attacks. Specifically, the Department of Homeland Security warned terrorists were, once again, preparing to attack the United States with suicide missions using commercial airliners as bombs.
Who can forget the incredible scandal that erupted back in December of 2003? 9/11 Commission chairman Thomas Keane declared the attacks of 9/11 should have been prevented. The next day, a Federal appeals court ruled against the administration on the case of suspected terrorist Jose Padilla, stating Padilla could not be held indefinitely without being charged.
Wait. Actually, everyone forgot, because the Bush administration increased the terrorism threat level to Orange and claimed more suicide planes were about to come zooming out of the sky. Six international flights were diverted due to potential terrorist actions of some passengers who were later identified as an insurance salesman, an elderly Chinese woman and a five-year-old boy.
Who can forget the incredible scandal that erupted back in May of 2004? Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared on Meet the Press and stated the intelligence on Iraqi WMD he’d been given for his UN presentation had been “inaccurate and wrong and, in some cases, deliberately misleading.” Horrifying new pictures of the torture, rape and murder of prisoners by Americans at Abu Ghraib prison became public. The American military accidentally bombed a wedding party in Iraq, killing 40 civilians.
Wait. Actually, everyone forgot, because FBI Director Mueller and Attorney General John Ashcroft announced they had reports from multiple sources of al Qaeda’s “specific intention to hit the United States hard.” The threat levels were not raised, but dire warnings of impending catastrophe were offered by the administration for the next several days.
The recipe is simple, like the directions on the back of a shampoo bottle. Damaging reports of Bush administration malfeasance emerge. Warnings of imminent terrorist-borne doom immediately follow, all spread far and wide by said Bush administration. Lather, rinse, repeat.
There are many more instances of this curious timing to be found, but apparently, no one in the administration is concerned this dubious pattern – spreading fear among the populace to change the subject, an act of terrorism itself – might start to wear thin.
Who is going to forget the incredible scandals of June and July of 2007? The Bush administration leaves Nixon in the dust by commuting the prison sentence of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby. This action strongly suggests the existence of a quid pro quo between Libby and Bush’s people to cover up the criminal activities of powerful officials like Vice President Dick Cheney, who had recently claimed his office wasn’t part of the executive branch to avoid handing papers over to the National Archives.
The administration deploys spurious claims of Executive Privilege to avoid subpoenas regarding the patently illegal NSA wiretapping of American citizens. That privilege is extended to deny Congressional access to Harriet Miers, former White House counsel, regarding the issue of fired US attorneys. Contempt charges are threatened against Miers, and the NSA subpoena stonewall comes closer to getting openly challenged in court. Alberto Gonzales is exposed as having lied to the Senate in his testimony about FBI abuses of the Patriot Act.
Few of the benchmarks for success in Iraq are met. Desperate to halt a tide of GOP defections from his Iraq policy, Bush again coughs up the totally discredited link between 9/11 and Iraq, saying, “The same people that attacked us on September the 11th is a crowd that is now bombing people, killing innocent men, women and children.” The House again votes to withdraw American troops from Iraq. A new Harris poll on Bush’s approval rating is published. The number reads 26 percent.
Wait.
Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff all but guarantees devastating new terror attacks against the United States this summer. He bases this warning on a “gut feeling.” White House spokesman Tony Snow threatens that withdrawal from Iraq would bring terrorism “to a shopping mall near you.”
Meanwhile, al Qaeda is alleged to be as secure in Pakistan and Afghanistan as they were before 9/11, yet no one in the administration connects this new security to the drain of resources happening in Iraq. Additionally, no one in the administration points out the fact that, if Chertoff’s gut is indeed correct, and we are indeed attacked again, responsibility for that attack will fall upon those who manufactured war in Iraq. Never mind the fact that if an attack is allowed to happen, even a minor one, more of our constitutional rights and protections will be eviscerated by the very same people who failed to stop it again.
Will everyone forget about the scandals of June and July 2007 amid these deadly warnings of coming death?
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Impeach the lying liars.
Mr. Heckler, never could it be claimed that I am a Bush bot, but some of what you posted is not exactly factual. I am guessing you are doing what several of those you would accuse have done. Taken something that is at least in part made up or embellished and repeated it here.
Now you are right in that when ever is seem good for the Bush Administration they bring up a shiny object to distract the public and defuse the situation. But I call you on some of what you have posted in the last entry. Prior to 9-11 Richard Clarke and CIA director Tenet did try to get Bush to focus more on Al-Qaeda and in hind sight the signs were there as to what they were up to. But that is where they are found in hindsight with the actual plan already carried out. But no there was no real and clear warning at to what the exact plan of attack was before 9-11.
There is enough damning evidence to hang this administration twenty times over. Without adding on to it, some of the above it like saying “Oh yeah and he kicks his dog too!”.
“Now you are right in that when ever is seem good for the Bush Administration”Should read: “Now you are right that when ever IT seems good for the Bush Administration”.
If anything looked like a sure thing in the new Congress, it was that lawmakers would renew, and probably expand, the popular, decade-old State Children’s Health Insurance Program before it expires this year.
But the future of the $5 billion-a-year program, which serves 6.6 million children and has long enjoyed bipartisan support, has become mired in an ideological fight over the proper role of government in health care and in more mundane legislative arm-wrestling over how to fund the effort in a tight budget climate.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/14/AR2007071401000.html
Republicans only care for the unborn. Once a child is out of the womb, tough luck! If a poor kid gets sick, hey, he or she should have made better life choices!
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki shrugged off U.S. doubts of his government’s military and political progress Saturday, saying Iraqi forces are capable and American troops can leave “anytime they want.”http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/07/14/iraq.military.ap/index.html
Time to declare victory and get the hell out.
XXX: If the program exists now, I would assume it was approved by a Republican Congress. It is not in peril. They are arguing about the size of the program. As usual for social programs, the Dems want more and Republicans (President Bush wants a smaller increase)
And I’m sorry my friend but that attack on allegedly uncaring Republicans is not worthy of you.
“President Bush has attacked the proposals as big-government attempts to enlarge the federal role in health care, saying they would siphon choice away from individuals and reduce private insurance coverage for some children. He has proposed about $5 billion in new funding for children’s health insurance over five years, for a total of $30 billion — an amount that the Congressional Budget Office says would be too little to keep covering even just the number of children enrolled in the program now.”
Sorry, outlander, but XXX is correct in his assumption. Just ask the decider.
JM: You are savy enough to know how the budget game works. The Congress proposed one thing (too much) Bush proposed another in response(too little). Then they compromise.
outlander,
And when has this White House ever compromised with Congress, much less a Democratically-controlled Congress?
The game of which you speak is no longer being played. The new game is Executive Hegemony. It is also unconstitutional.
Albuquerque had no manufacturing industries 25 years ago. Today it has a large Intel chip-fabrication plant.
A new small business jet design and manufacturing center, bankrolled by a couple of smart guys with a pretty impressive track record, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, is in the final stages of FAA certification. What are Eclipse Aviation’s prospects? Strong enough to convince United Technologies Pratt-Whitney division to design a revolutionary ultra-small jet engine for it. It has over 2000 orders ranging from rich hobby fliers to would-be air-taxi pioneers.
Now, a revolutionary California electric car startup called Tesla, founded by PayPal’s creators, has decided to set up their manufacturing plant in Albuquerque. Their first model, a 4 sec 0-60 roadster costing $100,000, whose first production run is sold out in advance, after the prototype received rave reviews from auto magazine, Pop Sci and Pop Mechanics test-drivers, is being built in England’s Lotus plant (a venerated race car builder).
But Tesla execs want to build more-affordable sedans in America. They took bids from California, Arizona and Michigan, with New Mexico’s offer to build a road to the plant, electricity, water and sewer at a one-time $3 M taxpayer cost, with smaller future maintenance costs. In the first year, the plant is expected to have a $15 M payroll, and through dollar recirculation, generate an $80 M economic boost, both of which will subsequently expand substantially, so Albuquerque and state leaders viewed the $3 million contribution sought by Tesla to be more than fair to New Mexicans
Notice that Albuquerque is reversing the manufacturing-jobs-offshoring trend, by developing 21st century high tech facilities.
Interestingly, Albuquerquians got things moving to build a new arena when Wichita did. But then they decided to shelve it. No arena. Funny that Albuquerque’s economy is growing very well without one.
Meanwhile, some people in Austin are developing a consortium to use West Texas’s excess after-midnight wind-generation capacity to enable battery-powered cars to be recharged in owners’ garages when the grid has excess capacity. West Texas already has the nation’s largest wind-generation system.
There are two-seater and small four-seater electric cars (pure and hybrid) being tested that have the energy-consumption equivalent of 100+ mpg fossil fuel. Daimler-Benz researchers have discovered, through a biomimetics project (studying and copying nature for new ideas) that the tropical boxfish’s shape can be mimicked, to produce a car with a 0.15 drag coefficient, which could increase electric vehicles’ mpg equivalencies to 130+.
Electric vehicles have long proved themselves. For example so-called “diesel” locomotives are actually hybrid vehicles with onboard diesel generators. All commuter light rail and subway systems are electric. Lithium ion batteries weigh a tiny fraction of acid-lead batteries that powered early 20th century electric cars, and the first generation of “modern” electric cars devised a generation ago.
What do these developments portend? Independence from the “screw the U.S.” OPEC cartel’s machinations. No need to strong-arm Iraq and steal its petroleum. The electricity-generation resources to power every family car, can be built here. Some don’t generate carbon dioxide, e.g. wind, solar, and nuclear. Some will generate C02, but this can be contained underground, e.g. generation plants powered by coal, natural gas, and North American petroleum, including vast tar sand and shale reserves in the Rocky Mountains.
The last arena built in Austin was 1977, at the University of Texas. It’s used for Arena League football, concerts and other non-university events. There are no plans to build a civic arena there.
How many trips have our Visioneering leaders, and city and county elected officials taken to Albuquerque and Austin in the past five years? For example, to learn how to build a future economy to succeed the shrinking local aviation industry?
I’ve already presented technology research and education concepts *that work*. Why couldn’t Wichita build composite-body electric cars? Why couldn’t Wichita design and build wind generators with composite blades, and sell them to farmers?
In alternative energy, Kansas farmers are getting a windfall in corn-for-alcohol sales. But that’s a loser, long term. Its energy input is estimated to either be almost its energy output, or else greater. It’s already causing major rises in food-production costs. And perhaps no surprise, led by GOP-member capitalists, it’s a federal subsidy-requiring corporate welfare scheme. It is economically infeasible in the open free market.
MPS — lots of food for thought there, especially for a Sunday…
Just one comment… I think wind generators are truly fantastic… But, it seems that one of the Republican Candidates for President was the governor of a State that thought wind generators might make their coast lines UGLY… Which would of course translate to “suffer with the oil prices” cause we LOVE those Saudi’s!!
And perhaps no surprise, led by GOP-member capitalists, it’s a federal subsidy-requiring corporate welfare scheme. It is economically infeasible in the open free market.
Posted by: MPS
But I thought Republicans do not believe in welfare and there was no such animal as ‘corporate welfare’.
Isn’t it funny how when taxpayer money enhances the Republicans’ pockets it is known as subsidies but when a single mother with kids gets out of an abusive relatioship, the Republicans do not want to help her. Then to makes matters worses, the Catholic Church condemns the woman for leaving her husband/marriage. What a moral story that tells.
Pssst — Red — Ummm They DONT believe in Corporate Welfare… but dont tell them… they are still having their fairy tale… Someday they will all wake up, and see what they have done… if it isnt too late by then…
But, with my luck, they will wake up, find out what they have done, and somehow, some way, find a way to Blame it on Clinton!! ROFL
I yearn for the days of Bill Clinton when the only thing he was doing was screwing us his own personal life – not the country.
correction: screwing up his own personal life – not the country.
Under some circumstances, one could even envy Clinton LOL
oh boy, isnt that just real peachy… yip yip yip yeehaw for intelligence on the Blog!!!
I think I read a science digest story somewhere where they taught a young gorilla how to use a keyboard…. anybody think it got loose from its keepers???ROFL!!!
I misspelled “Liar” the other day, but I don’t think I’ll ever misspell it again…
Ed,
Burn in hell you anti-semitic prick! You muzzie terrorist lovers should be locked up by Homeland Security!
{ The “S” is always capitalised in the subject-changing slur “anti-Semitic” even though Arabs are also Semites }.
Chas
This pretty well makes my case.
“Ed,”
“Burn in hell you anti-semitic prick! You muzzie terrorist lovers should be locked up by Homeland Security!”
The “Homeland Security” reference is code for Bush/Cheney/Rove/Rice/Zionist, “Gestapo” and the “card Carrying” reference refers to the last attempted take-over by the then Zionist “Communists” broken-up by McCarthy { watch him flare at that one }.
McCarthy drags that Card-Carrying Zionist-shit out of Hollywood and they still remember how they had to take the 5th, or be tried for treason.
Julius and Ethel had to sit on J. Edgar Hoover’s toaster.
I always thought the Rosenburg’s were given a bad rap
Chas
I’m amazed watching “history” being rewritten, just amazed.
PBS put on a total rewritten fabrication about the six-day war.
Never once did they mention the silver wires from the US TOE {sp} missiles glistening in the sunlight, crisscrossing the Sinai Desert, which knocked-out 700 Egyptian Tanks.
Chas
The Zionists have removed all references to the “Green-line” in Israeli schoolbooks.
That article was printed in Haaretz; I should have posted it when it happened }.
Ed–
I got an “yes” or “no” question for you.
Do you think that the holocaust against the Jews (and others) occured before and during WW2?
OK Cramit… you have been reported to the Blog… this is not even necessary… If you arent already crazy, you would seem to be approaching that territory at a fast pace… So, just go away!!! We dont need you on the Blog Your posts are without meaning… You are a disruption to others who are interested… And that is what has been reported to the Blog… Have a nice evening!!
I really don’t have a dog in that fight, so whatever you say is fine by me…60 million souls died in WWll; Sometimes I wonder if your kind ever thinks about anyone other than your own, but I really don’t care to share that opinion with people who ask me questions which reek of the smell of their bait…
Chas
I apologize for flushing-out those things, but I hit them right where they live, and being the animals which they are, I don’t think they can stop themselves.
NEWS FLASH–FEDERAL JUDGE DENIES PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE
By Peter Baker and Susan SchmidtWashington Post Staff WritersPage A01
A federal judge has ruled that the President cannot use the power of his office to block prosecutors from questioning his senior aides, rejecting his assertion of executive privilege in the on-going investigations, lawyers familiar with the decision said yesterday.
In a ruling issued under court seal Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson concluded that independent counsel’s need to collect evidence in his obstruction of justice probe outweighs the President’s interest in preserving the confidentiality of White House discussions, the lawyers said.
The decision made the President the first to take a claim of executive privilege to court and lose since the dramatic Watergate showdown in 1974, when the Supreme Court unanimously ordered Richard M. Nixon to turn over the secret Oval Office tapes that ultimately led to his resignation.
Johnson’s ruling could amount to a significant political as well as legal setback for the President, lending ammunition to his critics, who have charged that he is trying, in Nixonian fashion, to impede investigations with invalid privilege claims.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/starr050698.htm
Oh, wait. . . .
This was CLINTON, not Bush.
Yeah, I forgot for a second: There’s one set of laws for us and another for them.
Ed F–
It’s a yes or no question.
You either believe the holocaust happened, or you don’t believe the holocaust happened.
Which is it?
zionist boy,
You people should never open your mouths about “burning in hell”. Christ Killers!!!
Mel Gibson, Genius
Mel, stow it… Thats nothing but Ethnic BS, and you know it… Go crawl back under your sick rock
Ed–
Since the widely-accepted belief is that some 60 million Jews and others (gypsies, Slavs) died at the hands Nazi exterminators, your non-answer seems to indicate that you don’t want to go public with your denial.
I’m not “baiting” you. I’m simply offering you a way to refute or confirm a perception of your stance.
What a stupid Moron Cramit is, who actually thinks anybody cares that He is in MELTDOWN!!!
Alert: MELTDOWNAlert: MELTDOWN
Psssst CapN its just 6 million, not 60 — better change that
Oh, right! Ed F. said 60 million . . . threw me off . . .
Chas, 60 million total died in WWll on all sides.
9 million in WWl.
For the record, I believe that holocaust did indeed happen.
We have tens of thousands of eye-witnesses, living survivors, Nazi records, filmed evidence from Allies liberating death camps, etc. etc.
Saying “whatever you say is fine by me” is not an answer.
The Russians are the ones to feel sorry for, as they lost 25 million.
CapN… HOW do we stop that nin com poop from those disruptive, idiotic postings??? Its been going on most all day…
Chas–
Okay, you can’t stop disruptive trolls. The Eagle has set this blog up the way they’ve set it up.
They apparently have no moderators (”mods”) to pull posts and so anybody with a keyboard and a dial-up modem in their mom’s basement can spam to their heart’s content.
Within the half-hour, several links to hard-core pornography were posted.
The Eagle does nothing.
Ed–
Since you refuse to answer the question, one is led to the conclusion that you deny the holocaust.
You know the number of Russians killed.
How many Jews were exterminated by Nazis because they were Jewish, in your opinion?
Okay, Ed.
Have it your way.
You don’t respond, and so I get to call you “holocaust denier” Ed Freidemann.
You earned it.
And not only that, you’re gutless not to stand up for what you believe.
Thanks CapN!! I appreciate your reply!!
Some of us were so disguisted with The Eagle’s lack of oversight on this blog that we organized a two week boycott.
Philip Brownlee wrote us an e-mail about how they wanted us back and how they were forced into this format by corporate HQ’s.
Some of that I buy and some I don’t.
They could still have mods pull disruptive posts. That’s the least they could do.
What I would like to see is that each user be required to sign-in. If they cause trouble and disrupt, their user name can be banned. The only way they could sign up would be to use a real internet web mail address (not a free hotmail or yahoo account).
Then when somebody got banned, it would be very difficult for them to get a new nic.
This is what all the big sites like Democratic Underground or the Free Republic do.
The Eagle simply isn’t interested in making this WEBlog what it should be.
Sounds like whining to me Capn.
Actually, you and the other foul mouths would be the first to go. Careful what you wish.
Kansas = Republican, JM, Eier, Khan, Khahn.
Walk on by.
It equals true Kansas “values” /sarcasm OFFhttp://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2007/07/open-thread-713.html#comment-75802340
The likes of you, you Zionist piece of stinking shit, don’t get to offer me anything, and your trick “Have you stop beating your wife questions” don’t get answered.
Got that through your G-D thick skull, you stupid little Zionist bastard….FO
An informative page, with lots of useful links.
‘Myths by global warming deniers confronted’http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18588959&BRD=2289&PAG=461&dept_id=472539&rfi=6Myth 1) “The Medieval Warming Period”.Myth 2) “Scientists warned about “Global Cooling” in the 1970s.”Myth 3) “Models can’t deal with the effects of volcanoes.”Myth 4) “The Great Global Warming Swindle.”This ‘documentary[sic]” produced in Great Britain by director Martin Durkin, has proven to be another useful collection of bogus denialist claims.”
Red Alert’ Sent Over Touchscreen Use In Iowa GOP Straw Poll
Ron Paul Supporters Concerned That Diebold DREs Will Be Used To Deny ‘Groundswell of Support’
Guest Blogged by John Gideon, VotersUnite.Org
August 11 is the date for the Iowa GOP presidential “straw poll”. In this “straw poll” Republican voters from all over Iowa will walk, drive or share a bus to the campus of Iowa State University where they will be allowed to pay $35 each for the honor of casting a ballot for their choice for President.This “poll” is semi-important within the world of Republican politics. Both McCain and Giuliani have decided to pass and will not participate. However, for the candidates who are lower down in the polls this “straw poll” may be all important. The supporters of Dr. Ron Paul, for instance, claim that he has thousands of supporters within the state and that they are going to do all they can to get them to Ames.With all of that the supporters of Paul have got another gripe and concern that sounds much like the same concern many in the Election Integrity community have; the poll which used to be done on hand-counted paper ballots, counted in public, will be conducted on Diebold Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines. The Ron Paul group is very concerned that the machines will be gamed in order to make their candidate’s showing less than what it should be and in order to inflate the results for those who the Republican National Committee (RNC) want to have a good showing.The following email was sent by a member of Paul’s support group to a large list of Election Integrity groups:
From: Ron Paul NoHo MeetupSent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 9:51 AM
Subject: VOTE FRAUD RED ALERT: Diebold electronic voting machines to be used at Iowa straw poll!The Iowa GOP has decided to use Diebold electronic voting machines at the Iowa straw poll on August 11th. The straw poll has always been counted in the open with paper ballots…until now. They are about to deny the people the vote again, this time to turn back the popular groundswell of support for Dr. Ron Paul.Please investigate and spread the word! Please reach across the aisle and help! This affects ALL Americans! PLEASE MONITOR THIS STRAW POLL!Yours in support of Ron Paul for President,Steven Vincent?North Hollywood Ron Paul Meetup
Vincent is incorrect when he says that the straw poll has always been counted in the open and with paper ballots. In 1995 voting machines were used and there was some dispute because Sen. Dole and Sen. Graham got the same number of votes exactly.
———————————” The Ron Paul group is very concerned that the machines will be gamed in order to make their candidate’s showing less than…”
When Democrats said that the election machines were programed to change the results of an election the Republicans yelled that we were sore losers etc. etc.
Among Republicans filing Sunday, Ron Paul, the Texas congressman running a long-shot campaign, reported raising nearly $2.4 million from April through June and ended the quarter with a similar amount in the bank.
The total is a remarkable showing for Paul, putting him ahead of Arizona Sen. John McCain in cash on hand. Paul still barely registers in public opinion polls and raised far less than McCain or the other leading Republicans. But his libertarian views and opposition to the war in Iraq have lit a fire among nontraditional contributors, particularly on the Internet.
“Sounds like whining to me Capn.
Actually, you and the other foul mouths would be the first to go. Careful what you wish.”
Posted by: Kansas | July 15, 2007 at 06:13 PM
Capn would be the first to go. Give me a break – a 2 week boycott? When?
And the Eagle sent an email asking Capn to come back?
Bullshit.
Would you like to bet money on it, Max?
50 bucks says he did and I can prove it.
Capn, you are truly delusional.
It’s not like the NY Times quoted you or anything.
They (the Libs) left as the group called the “Fisters,” it was quite hilarious.
What is funny is that some “new” nics starting to creep back in while they were “at” the Wichita Voice.
One of their biggest complaints? You guessed it, trolls with multiple nics.
They (Capn) even came up with a list of “do’s and don’t’s” for the blog. Of course, they had no intention of following this list of rules, they just wanted everyone else not agreeing with them and their opinions to follow the list of rules.
Capn and his puny 50 dollar bets is boring. He always backs down when I raise the limit to $5000.00.
A lightweight in wallet and mind, that’s the Capn.
The reader of “My Pet Goat”’s buddy…meltdown man.
I like an identifying name, but I would not give my real name because too many RW freaks would use the info to call our jobs ect if they thought they could disrupt.
I have had threats before because I posted about protesting when bush came to Wichita. someone on a rw freakshow blog threatened to call my boss
Ed–
Geez, don’t have a heart-attack, man.
I didn’t think asking somebody if they believed in the accepted version of history was a loaded question.
Feel free to ask me a question.
For instance, do I believe that astronauts really landed on the moon?
Yes.
Do I believe that there was a conspiracy to cover up the real truth about how Kennedy was shot?
Yes.
Do I think that Palestine should have its own state and Israel should be removed–by force if necessary–from all occupied territories?
Yes.
Do I believe that right-wing dictators are usually worse than left-wing dictators?
Depends. Stalin and Mao were really, really bad, worse than the monarchies they overthrew. But then Pinochet was much worse than Allende, and Somoza was much worse than the Sandinistas.
I think one can make a strong case that Castro is better than Batiste.
But if it makes you feel better to call me a bunch of names that I don’t deserve because you’re too much of a coward to say what you really believe, then by all means, go right ahead.
That’s too bad that that happened leave.
You see, the Capn is hypocritical about this. He strongly believes that no one should be outed, but he never ceases to try to link me to some other identity for outing purposes.
A hypocrite in all manners is the Capn.
Time to walk on by…another meltdown…
Max–
Excuse me?
You said that The Eagle didn’t send me an e-mail asking me to come back.
I say, they did.
Or more specifically, Philip Brownlee did.
1. What has that got to do with The New York Times?
and
2. Are you going to back your mouth up with money or not?
I remember you referencing the email Capn as Phillip Brownlee said you could come back not asking you to come back.
Which lie do you wish us to believe Capn?
Got your cut and paste ready for that “doctored” email Capn? :)
Max?
Oh, Ma-ax?
Soldier – I challenge anybody in Congress to do my rotation
A soldier puts up a challenge to Congress and the pResident:
Spc. Vassell, 2nd Platoon Apache Company Strykers:
I challenge anybody in Congress to do my rotation. They don’t have to do anything, just come hang out with me and go home at the times I go home. And come stay here fifteen months with me.
Spc. Vassell, 2nd Platoon Apache Company Strykers:
We’re supposed to be on the way home right now. We were supposed to be flying home in six days. Six days. But because we have people up there in Congress with the brain of a two-year old who don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t experience it. I, I challenge the President or whoever has us here for fifteen months to ride along, alongside me. I’ll do another fifteen months if he comes out here and rides along with me every day for fifteen months. I’ll do fifteen more months. They don’t even have to pay me extra. I just want him to come out here and ride with me another fifteen months.
The politicians all sit there in their cushy offices or their comfy little places on the floor of the House, The Senate, and in the White House. They do not have a clue what they are doing to the soldiers. They do not have a clue how stressed out the military is. How the policies they are all pushing for are breaking the military.
YOU all say YOU support the troops. What a f load of crap. If YOU aren’t there in Iraq along side them in this endless war that YOU support…
Don’t ever f tell me YOU support the troops.
That goes for all of you war cheerleaders, Republican and Democratic party alike, that continue to fund this endless disaster. The same thing goes for all of you keyboard and armchair warriors that cheer on the occupation of Iraq but are too hypocritical to spill your own blood in Iraq’s desert sands.
leave,
Posting the same message in multiple thread is rather annoying.
How about stopping that practice.
Quit eating up the bandwidth on the WE Blog with your multiple posts of the same thing.
Walk on by…the Republican man just can’t stop melting!
not when the message is so important. More important than the bulls… you spew
whats the matter…
can’t fight the truth?
I especially like these paragraphs!!!
YOU all say YOU support the troops. What a f load of crap. If YOU aren’t there in Iraq along side them in this endless war that YOU support…
Don’t ever f tell me YOU support the troops.
That goes for all of you war cheerleaders, Republican and Democratic party alike, that continue to fund this endless disaster. The same thing goes for all of you keyboard and armchair warriors that cheer on the occupation of Iraq but are too hypocritical to spill your own blood in Iraq’s desert sands.
Republican man melts when faced with the truth
Yup. Good post, Leave.
Max calls “bullsh*t” on me, but he sure goes quiet when I offer him to put money on it.
Funny, if it were such obvious BS, why would one back away from a bet?
We boycotters came back on April 1st, Max. So it was easy to find the posts to back it up.
http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2007/04/open_thread.html#comments
March 14,
Dear WEBlog editors—
Thank you for setting up this public blog in which readers can post their views. It is an excellent concept.
But in practice, it needs serious improvement.
As it is now, a poster can steal people’s nicknames and seem to make them say things totally contrary to their beliefs. This has resulted in many misunderstandings and angry responses.
A poster can use a variety of nicknames and seem to be more than one person. Because nic-switching is so easy, any check on the truth of what a “pop-up” poster is saying is virtually impossible.
Racial, ethnic and homophobic slurs of the most vile nature are hurled with impunity. Some posters have even followed through on trying to meet another who has offended them . . . and it wasn’t to shake hands.
We believe the ONLY way to address the problem is some kind of registration. For instance, if post-ers were required to provide a real e-mail address (not a free web address such as yahoo or hotmail), The Eagle could insure that only one user name would be registered for each e-mail account.
Areas of particular concern are as follows:
-Name stealing trolls-One user posting under multiple ID’s-Racist / sexist / homophobic language-Threats of “payback” in real life-Threats of violence or harm-Demands to meet “in person”-Violations of privacy or confidentiality
We request that the Eagle look into a way the problems stated above can be corrected.
We the undersigned have opted to boycott the WEBlog as a demonstration of our desire for change in the way the WEBlog is managed. We look forward to time when the WEBlog can be as edifying and educational as it was meant to be.
Sincerely,
Tracy, WSClark, Mary Caruso, WichiWoman, KSFrmGrrl, Steven Davis, gdub, Ben, XXX, .morg, CapnAmerica, gster, Julie, CF, mrcontroversy, RD, lindainks
Posted by: tc | April 01, 2007 at 10:35 AM
And Mr. Brownlee replied to a number of us by e-mail with this:
I feel like Abraham Lincoln (or maybe the beaver) in those Rozerem commercials: “We want you back.” But, unfortunately, I don’t have good news about your recommendations.
As I’ve mentioned before, The Eagle does not own the blog, and our corporate owners don’t want registrations on blogs. I’ve asked several times about this.
They did finally agree to block IP addresses, but warned that doing so often isn’t effective and could result in inadvertently blocking the wrong person. We decided to try it and had them block the worst troll on the blog beginning in mid-January. But after someone on this e-mail list complained numerous times about being blocked, we removed the block on Feb. 24 to see if that would fix her problem. When it didn’t, we reinstated the block on Monday. During the time the block was off, the troll was posting.
Typepad, the blog vendor, also has a program glitch that hurts our ability to monitor postings. I’ve been complaining to the company about this for several months. As I mentioned at the last blog meet-up, I’m hoping that our corporate owners will switch vendors.
In the meantime, our tech people recommend ignoring trolls as much as possible, which I realize isn’t easy. And if there is an offensive post that you want us to consider removing, e-mail us about it.
I know this won’t satisfy your or my desire for a better blog, but I hope you will consider returning. We miss your participation and insights.
Phillip Brownlee
Posted by: tc | April 01, 2007 at 10:43 AM
Looks like you owe me an apology, Max.
And I’ll get it as soon as Bush apologizes for lying us into Iraq . . .
Actually, the young Sgt makes some valid points and probably has combat fatigue – needs a rest.
With that said, no one drafted him into the Army and no one is forcing him to stay when his enlistment is up.
The fact remains, that many Soldiers re-enlist while they are still in Iraq.
If I was to talk to some members of this Sgt’s Platoon, I might get a different story.
Here is the Website on this Sgt’s Company.
http://www.arcent.army.mil/cflcc_today/2007/may/may08_14.asp
what a load of BUNK kansas
the soldiers NEED a break drafted or not. I don’t see your ugly hypocritical ass doing anything
you make me want to puke
That’s not a posting of an email, that is a posting of a cut and paste which could have been heavily edited.
We all know that the Capn cannot keep his word nor be trusted.
I’ve served in the military leave for 14 years and during Desert Storm.
How about you leave, why aren’t you serving?
Thanks Cap’n!
well,
I don’t think being 66 qualifies, but my grandson is so I think I am more qualified to speak.
you and people like you make me sick you are so ignorant and do not care about others only yourselves
You know, something just dawned on me as I read Philip B’s e-mail again.
He says they blocked the IP address of “the worst troll” in mid January.
Right before this, JM was complaining–whining, in fact–that he thought his IP was blocked.
Then Philip says they took the block off at the end of February, and who comes back but JM under a new nic–RepubliKhan.
Interesting coincidence, isn’t it.
And Lord knows that he IS the worst troll–who even comes close?
OMG…Capn…as I read the email for the very first time a few minutes ago…there wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that Brownlee was talking about Republican/aka a whole slew of other nics.
Who do you think posted all that porn earlier….it was Republican of course….he really is crazy…battle fatigue.
Yup, he once claimed to having a job working for an “internet company.”
He’s probably a paid shill to hang out on the web and post links.
Its been fun…night y’all…gotta work tomorrow…God Bless you all!
“We all know that the Capn cannot keep his word nor be trusted.”Posted by: Kansas | July 15, 2007 at 09:42 PM
The above was posted by the WE Blog’s biggest LIAR and HYPOCRITE… the very multi-nic’d REPUBLIKHAN,
http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2007/07/open-thread-713.html#comment-75802340
I knew it was repuke
the fat miserabel 499 phuck
Max: I see a bit of recent history revisionism going on. Pretty soon the whiners who boycotted the blog will be claiming they were all that saved it. Actually they were the problem to begin with as evidenced by the rational discourse with reasonable libs that took place once they left.
And now I see it claimed that Phillip Brownlee practically begged CapnA to come back. In reality, he just wrote the standard customer complaint response letter.
Well, whatever makes them feel needed.—–
He’s probably a paid shill to hang out on the web and post links.
Posted by: CapnAmerica | July 15, 2007 at 09:55 PM
Yes, that’s my part time job. The RNC pays me handsomely.
Poor JM-Eier-Uncle William-Republican-Original Steve-RepubliKhan-Khan-Gail-Khahn-Roscoe-Ahmad, the Turkman-Kansas.
Even its pathetic nic-switching doesn’t work any more.
Everybody knows it for what it is–the worst troll on the blog.
It totally SUCKS to be him . . .
Actually, they were talking about that Ian guy. I never really saw him post except what I could find in past posts, so they must have deleted all of his posts that were objectionable.
nice try kansas
you and outlander and enema all deserve each other
Yeah outlander, all one has to do is to go back to that time frame and see all the profane posts by the left. I mean every word of profanity one could think of was there.
It got intensely worse right before they left.
Such poor, sad hypocrites.
outlander–
Dude, nobody claimed Brownlee “begged us” to come back.
He thought we had something to contribute and he said so.
Nor did we say we “saved the blog.”
But I do think it’s better now than it was, mainly because our side has learned how to handle the vicious hate that your side metes out with such regularity.
We just walk on by . . .
they just don’t get it
they are so insignificant that they don’t realize people make fun of them
When they are given the truth, they do everything to deflect from it
Poor wittle Capn, so abused…he just couldn’t take it and had to run away to the mommy blog.
sniff sniff…
oh kansas go do your coke with bushy boy
we don’t do that.
Capn…they just don’t have anything else.
pretty soon we will be hearing about “the clenis’ again
WW……………WW…….AAA…WW………….WW……AAAAA…..WW…..W….WW…..AA…..AA…..WW.WWW.WW……AAAAAAAA……WW……WW…….AA………AA
LL……………KK…..KKLL……………KK…KKLL……………KKKKLL……………KK…KKLLLLLLL……..KK…..KK
..OOOOO…….NN…….NN.OO….OO……NNN…..NNOO……OO…..NN..N…NN.OO….OO……NN…N..NN..OOOOO…….NN…….NN
BBBBB………YY………..YYBB….B……….YY…….YYBBBBBB………….YYYYYBB…..BB…………YYYBBBBBB…………..YYY
This is gonna be one big Walk-A-Thon!!
Boy, ol’ Max sure got quiet, didn’t he.
Hey, Max, don’t go all “delusional” on us . . . it’s not the New York Times here, neighbor.
Well, all, Good Night, Good Luck, and God Bless, who/whatever you conceive of God to be…. see ya around!!
night too all
see ya tomorrow
Fifty people watched — one woman stepped up. ONE !!! What would you do? Where are all the bad ass cowboys rednecks etc …….? Shame!!
Woman acts to stop attack in Old Town
Stacy Derebery and a friend were returning to her car after a late night in Old Town early last Sunday when, she said, she saw a man drag a shrieking woman through a crowd by her hair.
Near Douglas and Emporia, at least 50 people watched quietly as the man punched and kicked the woman.
But Derebery decided that she couldn’t just watch.
wow just when some people thought it could only happen in certain parts of town
Kansas/Outlander, enjoyed your posts today.
Clark, I just got back from life and saw your whining again.
You can keep your $50. Let the world of public opinion be the judge as to whether the Eagle begged you to come back. I couldn’t care less. Thought it was quite funny though.
Max–
I would really appreciate it if you could see your way clear to stop calling me Clark.
William Stephenson Clark posts under his own name and I have nothing but admiration for that.
I do not. I use a nic-name. Why would someone post under their own name and also post under a nic-name?
I never said that The Eagle “begged” anybody to come back and you damn well know it.
So, let me inform you that I will no longer be able to interact with you on The Blog any longer as I have lost all respect for you.
You do not have the capacity to see reason.
Further discussion is futile.
Why We Fight (according to the CONs)
The invasion of Iraq has made the world a safer place – we’re fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here, and we’re winning, and winning means achieving victory, but we cannot cut and run because the insurgency is in its last throes and if we waver they’ll come here to fight us like they already are even though we’re not wavering. They’re dead enders and Baathists and foreign fighters and Islamofascists and they’re the exact same people who attacked us on September-The-Eleventh, and we know they’re coming because we have a gut feeling, except there’s no credible evidence and they aren’t coming here after all, except they probably are. And if they do, just remember that we warned you. But they won’t, because we’re winning and the bottom line is that the world is better off without Saddam Hussein. So bring it on.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/top10/299
From the same source:
McCain got more bad news yesterday. A Florida co-chair for his campaign was arrested on Wednesday after offering to perform oral sex on an undercover officer, the Associated Press reported.
State Rep. Bob Allen, 48, allegedly propositioned the officer after coming out of a bathroom at a park in Titusville. He was charged with solicitation for prostitution, for which he could be jailed for up to a year, the AP reported. Allen has denied guilt and called the charges “an ugly and unpleasant situation.”
Indeed. In fact, one could argue that this is a real blow to the McCain campaign. A-ha-ha.
So, let me inform you that I will no longer be able to interact with you on The Blog any longer as I have lost all respect for you.
You do not have the capacity to see reason.
Further discussion is futile.
Posted by: CapnAmerica | July 16, 2007 at 12:18 AM
Consider this a blessing Max.
Not having to deal with the Blog Hawg-n-nator is a relief to anyone who has dealt with this rotted piece of slime.
What’s a Hawg-n-nator?
Thanks, Kansas. Before your encouragement, I was really worried about the Socialist Capn not replying to me anymore. :)