Club G'itmo East Photo Op

What are these morons doing wearing those Club G'itmo t-shirts?

Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to members of the 983rd Engineer Batallion at Camp Ramadi, Iraq, who think what's happening in Guantanamo Bay is a joke.

No freepers, I don't see any humor in this.

Cheney Lobbying Against Anti-Torture Legislation

What the hell? It looks like the Bush Administration is going against the will of the people, even those within their own party. This article is from The Washington Post, was posted on truthout.org this afternoon, and explains everything in detail.

It's enough to make a Progressive sick to their stomach, and makes me wonder why they're lobbying against this legislation. Sick bastards!

White House Aims to Block Legislation on Detainees

By Josh White and R. Jeffrey Smith

Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, July 23, 2005; Page A01

The Bush administration in recent days has been lobbying to block legislation supported by Republican senators that would bar the U.S. military from engaging in "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" of detainees, from hiding prisoners from the Red Cross, and from using interrogation methods not authorized by a new Army field manual.

Vice President Cheney met Thursday evening with three senior Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to press the administration's case that legislation on these matters would usurp the president's authority and -- in the words of a White House official -- interfere with his ability "to protect Americans effectively from terrorist attack."

Click here to read the entire article from The Washington Post

Today's The Big Day!

Are you ready for your Downing Street Memo house party?

Hey, even if you can't make it to one of the house parties later today, don't feel like you're not doing your part to get the word out. Let's remember that bringing awareness of the Downing Street Memo to the masses is an everyday event!

To emphasize that point, I found a link to a 36-page PDF file John Conyers put together called Last Throes of Credibility: Five Years of Lies and Deception

Click here to download the file.

Consider this your Downing Street Memo companion. Print this out before you leave for your DSM parties and pass this out to the attendees!

Let There Be Music!

Hello, readers and listeners!

I wanted to pass along this exciting update to you. I'm up very early this morning because of very loud thunder and lightning that is making it impossible for me to sleep. While I've been awake for the past couple of hours, I've been looking at the possibility of incorporating music in my podcasts and now I can make the following announcement.

Starting with my next podcast Monday morning, I will showcase podcast-safe music from SoundClick, Pod Safe Audio, and Magnatune in all future podcasts. Of course, this means my podcasts will expand in length. How long? I'll see what we can do to fill up a full hour. How's that?

I have quite an electic taste in music, so throughout the podcast you may hear surf rock, heavy metal, electronica, jazz, hip hop, and maybe even classical in between segments! I'll definitely keep you on your toes.

Who knows? Maybe I'll introduce you to a music genre you'll experience for the first time.

Latest Radio News America Op/Ed

I normally don't submit Op/Eds on Friday nights, but tonight I got fed up with all the rumors and accusations being made against Andy Stephenson. The following is my open letter to Steve and the rest of the Freepers who inhabit the Radio News America blog.

It's time to nut up or shut up. Give us evidence Andy Stephenson is as deceitful as you say he is, or forever hold your lies.

Calling Out Steve & The Freepers
Original Op/Ed by Robbie Michaels
Radio News America
July 22nd, 2005

To Steve and The Freepers,

Day after day, wild accusations fly out of your mouths like a bad case of diarrhea after gorging on Mexican food at 3 in the morning. Why do you continue to make accusations against Andy Stephenson after his death? Why do you do it based on nothing more than innuendo and lies?

This afternoon, you crossed the line. Although it is public information, you posted a former address that Andy lived at. You also insinuated that a recent home mortgage refinance could’ve produced the money needed for his surgery, making the fundraising efforts unnecessary.

On behalf of the public, I’m asking, “Where’s the proof?”

The only thing you’ve accomplished during the past eleven days on the Radio News America blog is smear Andy’s name, without giving him or those close to him a chance to defend him. Steve, since you are not a resident of the United States, let me tell your stupid foreign ass how things are done here on the other side of the border.

In America, you are innocent until proven guilty.

In a thread on Conservative Underground, you made an accusation that Andy committed wire fraud. However, any attorney looking at that thread would laugh your sorry ass out of a courtroom because there is no proof! Everything in that 12-page thread is based on gossip. Not one single post in that waste of server space had a fact to support your claim.

“Oh, we debunked it on Scamdy…” Bullshit you did! Stop the rumors and show the public some hard evidence a crime took place!

Today on the Radio News America blog, you said you traveled to Seattle to look up information on all previous mortgages Andy and Ted held. The public would like to know if you have proof you traveled to Seattle? Do you have a ticket stub from the airplane you flew in? Do you have an empty peanut wrapper? Do you have receipts for meals and lodging? Do you have the free pair of wings the flight attendants at American Airlines give out to children?

If you don’t have those items, then you’re lying to the world again.

Steve, you also made a wild accusation that Ted had enough equity in his home to raise enough cash to pay for Andy’s surgery. Well, now you’re treading into my territory.

I’m a loan officer. For a living I originate purchase and refinance loans, so I know all about this subject. I can tell you for a fact that without looking at the actual loan application, credit reports, appraisal, and income documentation, there is no way I can say whether or not a borrower is qualified to access all or a portion of the remaining equity available in their home.

Steve, since you’re the one leveling the accusation, tell the public you have their mortgage application, a copy of their credit reports, an appraisal, and verification of their income.

If you have it, show it and give us your expert opinion how you can prove Ted had the ability to access the equity in his home to save Andy’s life. If you can’t, then you have no business insinuating Andy’s fundraising efforts were unnecessary or fraudulent.

Now that we’ve blown your recent accusations out of the water, I’m throwing down a challenge to you and all of you freepers who continue to smear Andy’s reputation. Since you’re the ones leveling the charges against him, and you say you have the evidence to prove it, then you have until Saturday, 12 PM EST, to make your case in public here on Radio News America.

That should give you enough time to go to Kinko’s to make photocopies of receipts, documents, and anything else you want to submit as evidence.

Oh, you don’t have a 24-hour copy place in your neighborhood? Fuck you. Hop on a bus to a place that has one. Hitchhike if you have to. Show us the evidence.

You don’t have anything other than a printout of a thread from Scamdy.com’s message board as proof? Fuck you and your lame ass excuse. Show us the evidence.

You can’t access the necessary paperwork because it’s a weekend? Fuck you. That’s not our problem. Show us the evidence.

Steve, if you and your freeper buddies are the Truthseekers you say you are, you should be able to meet my challenge and discredit all of us who question you and your motives. If you can’t, then no one in cyberspace will ever take you seriously the next time you have another diarrhea attack of the mouth.

Sincerely,

Robbie Michaels

GOP Candidate Wants Bush Impeached

Go ahead and check your calendars. It's not April 1st, and I'm not making this one up.

Dennis Morriseau, a Republican candidate seeking the House seat Bernie Sanders is vacating, says he can not only win the nomination but also wants to impeach George Bush.

Here's an excerpt from an article that appeared in yesterday's edition of the Rutland Herald.

GOP candidate calls for impeachment
July 21, 2005

By Gordon Dritschilo

Herald Staff

A Congressional candidate who wants to impeach President
Bush insists he can win the Republican primary.

Dennis Morrisseau, 62, of West Pawlet, plans to seek the
Republican nomination to run for U.S. House of Representatives. The seat is
being vacated by Rep. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., who plans a run for the U.S.
Senate.

A central part of his platform, Morrisseau said, will be
bringing articles of impeachment against Bush.

He will most likely face Maj. Gen. Martha Rainville,
adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard, in the September 2006 primary,
along with any other candidates who might get themselves placed on the ballot
between now and then.

Morrisseau said he considers himself more of a Republican
than the president, and he thinks a lot of Vermont Republicans agree with
him.

"This leadership isn't very Republican and I don't think
it's very popular with Vermont Republicans," he said. "Republicans in this state
tend to be mind-your-own-business people, keep taxes low and government
small."

Click here to read the entire article from the Rutland Herald.

Friday's DSM Senate Targets

TARGETS FOR FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2005

Please contact the following Senators (even if you have
already in the past contacted them) and if the senator's direct email
does not work, use the Chief of Staff's email address provided:

Senator John Warner, Virginia
webmail: http://warner.senate.gov/contact/contactme.cfm
email: senator@warner.senate.gov
225 Russell Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
phone: 202-224-2023
fax: 202-224-6295
Chief of Staff: Susan Magill
email: susan_magill@warner.senate.gov

Senator Chuck Hagel, Nebraska
webmail: http://hagel.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact
email: chuck_hagel@hagel.senate.gov
248 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-4224
fax: 202-224-5213
Chief of Staff: Lou Ann Linehan
email: louann_linehan@hagel.senate.gov

And as always, if you wish, contact the man who reneged on his promise to the American people for an investigation into how intelligence was used:

Senator Pat Roberts R-Kansas, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee
email: pat_roberts@roberts.senate.gov
webmail: http://roberts.senate.gov/e-mail_pat.html
109 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1605
phone: (202) 224-4774
fax: 202-224-3514
Jackie Cottrell, Chief of Staff
email: jackie_cottrell@roberts.senate.gov

Uncle Sam Wants Your Decrepit Soul

Just when I thought I'd be home free in seven weeks, the Defense Department quietly requested to have the maximum age of recruits in all branches of the military raised to 42 years of age. So if you thought by turning 36 you'd be safe from getting recruited or drafted, guess what? Uncle Sam is willing to take your decrepit soul.

This excerpt is from an article that appeared in the July 19th edition of the Army Times.

Uncle Sam wants you – even if you’re 42 years old

By Rick Maze
Times staff writer

The Defense Department quietly asked Congress on Monday to raise the maximum age for military recruits to 42 for all branches of the service.

Under current law, the maximum age to enlist in the active components is 35, while people up to age 39 may enlist in the reserves. By practice, the accepted age for recruits is 27 for the Air Force, 28 for the Marine Corps and 34 for the Navy and Army, although the Army Reserve and Navy Reserve sometimes take people up to age 39 in some specialties.

The Pentagon’s request to raise the maximum recruit age to 42 is part of what defense officials are calling a package of “urgent wartime support initiatives” sent to Congress Monday night prior to a Tuesday hearing of the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee.

At that hearing, David S.C. Chu, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said he felt the military’s recent problems with recruiting were improving, but that additional incentives would help.

Chu mentioned the age change in passing during the hearing but gave no other details, such as whether any of the services were seriously considering recruiting 42-year-olds.

Click here to read the entire article in the Army Times.

California Redistricting Plan Removed From Ballot

This just in from The San Diego Union-Tribune...

Schwarzenegger's redistricting measure ordered off ballot

By Steve Lawrence
ASSOCIATED PRESS

4:59 p.m. July 21, 2005

SACRAMENTO – A Superior Court judge on Thursday kicked
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's redistricting measure off the special election
ballot, ruling that supporters violated California's constitution by using two
versions of the initiative in the qualifying process.

"The differences are not simply typographical errors,"
Judge Gail Ohanesian said. "They're not merely about the format of the measure.
They are not simply technical. Instead they go to the substantive terms of the
measure."

The proposal, Proposition 77, is one of three initiatives
that the Republican governor is supporting in the Nov. 8 special election. It
would take the power to draw legislative and congressional districts away from
the Legislature and give it to a panel of three retired judges.

Attorney General Bill Lockyer asked the judge to order the
measure off the ballot because its supporters used two versions – one to gather
voter signatures and another that they gave to him to prepare a title and
summary of the proposal to use on petitions.

Click here to read the entire article at The San Diego Union-Tribune

Thursday's DSM Senate Targets

TARGETS FOR THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2005

Please contact the following Senators (even if you havealready in the past contacted them) and if the senator's direct emaildoes not work, use the Chief of Staff's email address provided:

Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon
webmail: http://wyden.senate.gov/contact.html
email: senator@wyden.senate.gov
230 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-5244
fax: 202-228-2717
Chief of Staff: Josh Kardonemail: josh_kardon@wyden.senate.gov

Senator Olympia Snowe, Maine
email: olympia@snowe.senate.gov
webmail: http://snowe.senate.gov/Webform.htm
154 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1903
phone: 202-224-5344
fax: 202-224-1946
Chief of Staff: John Richteremail: john_richter@snowe.senate.gov

And as always, if you wish, contact the man who reneged on his promise to the American people for an investigation into how intelligence was used:

Senator Pat Roberts R-Kansas, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee
email: pat_roberts@roberts.senate.gov
webmail: http://roberts.senate.gov/e-mail_pat.html
109 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1605
phone: (202) 224-4774
fax: 202-224-3514
Jackie Cottrell, Chief of Staff
email: jackie_cottrell@roberts.senate.gov

FreeperFest Continues at Radio News America

What the hell is going on over there?

I'm conducting an experiment over at Radio News America. I requested for them to keep open the blog on my Andy Stephenson tribute Op/Ed from nine days ago, and as of this moment there are 295 comments.

295 comments? I haven't made that many in my blog since I started this whole deal!

It doesn't look like it's dying down anytime soon, so if you want to cringe, laugh, or get pissed off at Steve's posts (he's AA on there), grab some snacks, pull up a chair, and then click on this link to see the latest.

No Podcast Today

Hello readers and listeners,

Because of time constraints, I was unable to record a podcast this evening for your enjoyment. Business has picked up at work, and as a result I had less time to make posts to the blog, do research for my upcoming Op/Eds, etc.

Although they average about 12 minutes in length, I didn't have time to prepare for one this evening. Putting one together at the last moment would be a disservice to you and me, so I will hold off until Sunday evening. In the meantime, I'll be catching up on the blog so you'll have the latest stories, Calls To Action, and anything else that is important.

I expect to have the next podcast posted on Monday morning as scheduled, and it's quite possible I may end up doing them once a week for now. I'll keep you posted on any changes.

Thanks for your support,
Robbie Michaels

Latest Radio News America Commentary

A BMBNS Agent's Journal - Part Two
Original satirical Op/Ed by Robbie Michaels
July 21, 2005

Continued from last Monday's journal entry...

We investigated the rest of the encampment, but we didn’t find any other clues inside the cardboard box home or in the surrounding tents. Back at central command, I brought the identification cards and the laptop computer into the crime lab, where one of the technicians examined the laptop at his desk. The technician was in his late forties, with thinning gray hair and a pair of glasses that framed his elongated face. I watched with interest, staring at the computer screen as he checked the Internet connection as well as the email program for clues.

“Whoever left this either wanted to be discovered,” the technician said, peering through his glasses at me. “Or he’s one of the dimmest bulbs in the hardware store.”

“Why do you say that?” I asked him.

“Take a look at this,” he replied as he typed furiously at the keyboard. Moments later, a small popup window appeared in the center of the screen. I tried to read the information on the screen, but the only thing I could make sense of were a series of numbers he pointed to.

“66.185.84.80. What is that supposed to mean?” I inquired. The technician flipped through the identification cards and when he found the one I discovered with the address printed on it, he held it up to the screen just a few inches in front of it. Immediately, I noticed the numbers printed on the identification card belonged to a man named Steve.

“So whoever used this computer at the encampment is named Steve,” he said. “This series of numbers is the IP address of the computer used.” The technician pounded away at the keyboard, and another popup screen appeared with more information.

Request: 66.185.84.80
from whois.arin.net:43 [cached Wed Jul 20 08:24:44 2005 UTC]

OrgName: Rogers@Home
OrgID: ROGERS-29
Address: 1 Mount Pleasant Road
City: Toronto
StateProv: ON
PostalCode: M4Y-2Y5
Country: CA

NetRange: 66.185.80.0 - 66.185.95.255
CIDR: 66.185.80.0/20
NetName: ROGERS-CABLE-BACKBONE
NetHandle: NET-66-185-80-0-1
Parent: NET-66-0-0-0-0
NetType: Direct Assignment
NameServer: NS1.WLFDLE.RNC.NET.CABLE.ROGERS.COM
NameServer: NS2.WLFDLE.RNC.NET.CABLE.ROGERS.COM
NameServer: NS1.YM.RNC.NET.CABLE.ROGERS.COM
NameServer: NS2.YM.RNC.NET.CABLE.ROGERS.COM
Comment:
RegDate: 2001-11-01
Updated: 2004-10-07

AbuseHandle: RHI9-ARIN
AbuseName: Rogers High-Speed Internet
AbusePhone: +1-416-935-4729
AbuseEmail: abuse@rogers.com

TechHandle: IPMAN-ARIN
TechName: IP MANAGE
TechPhone: +1-416-935-4729
TechEmail: ipmanage@rogers.wave.ca

OrgTechHandle: ILE6-ARIN
OrgTechName: Leung, Ida
OrgTechPhone: +1-416-935-4729
OrgTechEmail: ipmanage@rogers.wave.ca

“Rogers Cable? Isn’t Rogers Cable in…” I muttered when the technician interrupted me.

“Canada,” the technician replied. “The man you’re chasing isn’t even an American citizen.”

“What would a Canadian be doing around here?” I asked. “Why would he be interested in our politics if he can’t even vote?”

“I couldn’t tell you,” he replied. “I’m still trying to figure that out.”

I thanked the technician for his work, and as I left the crime lab my mind wandered. Why would Steve take an interest in our country’s politics? What was he doing at the encampment this evening? Who was with him? Was he one of the people I saw running through the open field into the woods?

I went home for the evening, but I knew in the back of my mind there was more to this story.

To be continued…

Mr. Raider Retires To Fuel His Passion

So why am I posting a sports story on RobbDogg's Rips? Because this one deals with a social issue that is going to change the face of stock car racing.

Tim Brown, who announced his retirement from the Oakland Raiders yesterday, is going to start his own NASCAR racing team with support of Roush Racing. Roush Racing is the best Ford Motor Company-sponsored racing team in the NEXTEL Cup Series, and they are going to supply Tim's new team with engines and chassis.

This will definitely help establish Tim as a successful African-American car owner, and in turn this will help change the face of NASCAR racing.

Here's an excert from an artice that appeared on ESPN.com yesterday.

NASCAR may fuel his retirement

Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Nearly a year after the Oakland Raiders thought Tim Brown was ready to retire, their most prolific receiver finally agreed.

Brown signed a one-day contract and retired with the Raiders on Monday, putting a graceful end to the turbulent final months of his 17-year NFL career.

Brown, the Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame in 1987, spent his first 16 seasons with the Raiders in Los Angeles and Oakland, becoming the self-proclaimed "Mr. Raider." But after refusing to accept a minor role with Oakland last year, Brown spent one last disappointing season in a small role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Though that career choice might have hurt a few feelings among the Raiders' executives and fans, Brown always wanted his final NFL jersey to be silver and black.

"At some point in my career, I didn't think this day would ever come," Brown said. "I thought I'd just keep playing and keep playing. But I'm very glad this day has come, and I can move on to the next phase of my life.

"I feel great. I feel as if I can still play five years of football ... but maybe the reason to retire is because I feel so good," he said.

Click here to read the entire article from ESPN.com

Wednesday's DSM Senate Targets

TARGETS FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2005

Please contact the following Senators (even if you have
already in the past contacted them) and if the senator's direct email
does not work, use the Chief of Staff's email address provided:

Senator Evan Bayh, Indiana
webmail: http://bayh.senate.gov/WebMail1.htm
463 Russell Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-5623
fax: 202-228-1377
Chief of staff Tom Sugar
email: tom_sugar@bayh.senate.gov

Dianne Feinstein, California
webmail: http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.html
email address: senator@feinstein.senate.gov
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3841 TEL
phone: 202-228-3954 FAX
Chief of Staff: Mark Karesh
email: mark_karesh@feinstein.senate.gov

And as always, if you wish, contact the man who reneged on his promise to the American people for an investigation into how intelligence was used:

Senator Pat Roberts R-Kansas, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee
email: pat_roberts@roberts.senate.gov
webmail: http://roberts.senate.gov/e-mail_pat.html
109 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1605
phone: (202) 224-4774
fax: 202-224-3514
Jackie Cottrell, Chief of Staff
email: jackie_cottrell@roberts.senate.gov

Who's The Top?

I'm wondering if this is the question they were asking each other when this photo was taken in June 2003 at a party marking the 40th anniversary of Robert Novak's column at the Army Navy Club in Washington D.C.

Many people attending the event, including current punching bag Karl Rove (left) were wearing red buttons stating "I'm a source, not a target". Maybe they should've said, "I'm a traitor, not an American."

Ann Coulter Accused Of Plagiarism

I read about this earlier this morning, and I thought someone was playing a prank on me. I hate this woman's whacked out views on liberals, Muslims, and anything else that rubs the GOP the wrong way. It turns out her views aren't even hers!

Our favorite wingnut pundit got caught plagiarizing three different news articles in her June 29th column. Busted!

It's too bad she appears on Fox News as a frequent guest, because Roger Ailes won't do a damn thing about it. He'll probably pat her on the ass and say "Great job!", just like he did to John Gibson, Brit Hume, and Brian Kilmeade two weeks ago.

Here's an excerpt from the article that appears on the Raw Story website.

Coulter caught cribbing from conservative magazines

This article was written by John Byrne and researched by Ron Brynaert.

A column penned by the doyenne of right-wing rhetoric Ann Coulter has come under fire for alleged plagiarism, RAW STORY has learned.

Much of Coulter's Jun. 29, 2005 column, “Thou Shall Not Commit Religion,” bears a striking resemblance to pieces in magazines dating as far back as 1985—and a column written for the Boston Globe in 1995.

A RAW STORY examination found Coulter's work to be at worst plagiarism and at best a cut-and-paste repetition of points authored by conservative religious groups in the early 1990s. These groups sought to de-fund the National Endowment for the Arts, detailing projects paid for by the NEA they dubbed “obscene.”

Click here to read the entire article from Raw Story

Landstuhl Hits Infamous Milestone

Landstuhl Regional Medical Center recently reached a milestone that should leave all of us outraged. That's how I'm feeling at the moment. Landstuhl just treated its 25,000th patient injured in operations Iraq and Enduring Freedom.

Here's a sample of the story that appears in the Thursday edition of European and Pacific Stars & Stripes.

Landstuhl treats its 25,000th patient in war on terror
Hospital in Germany is first stop for many wounded soldiers

By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, July 19, 2005

LANDSTUHL, Germany — Landstuhl Regional Medical Center recently surpassed a hallmark number in its treatment of patients injured in operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

A combination of more than 25,000 troops, civilians and coalition members from 37 countries involved in the global war on terrorism has received treatment at Landstuhl.

The medical center, which treated its first patient from OEF in fall 2001, reached the 25,000 patient mark this July Fourth.

“As we fight for our freedom, it’s on the day of our independence that we hit that milestone patient here,” said Col. James M. Francis, Landstuhl commander. “For the staff here at Landstuhl, that was one more workday as usual.”

Click here to read the entire article from Thursday's edition of Eurpoean and Pacific Stars & Stripes

Uh, Oh.....Rove Is Busted!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very interetsting twist in the Valerie Plame CIA leak story. Take a look at what The Washington Post is printing on the front page of Thursday's edition! Here's a sample, brought to you by Buzzflash.com

washingtonpost.com
Plame's Identity Marked As Secret
Memo Central to Probe Of Leak Was Written By State Dept. Analyst

By Walter Pincus and Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, July 21, 2005; A01

A classified State Department memorandum central to a federal leak investigation contained information about CIA officer Valerie Plame in a paragraph marked "(S)" for secret, a clear indication that any Bush administration official who read it should have been aware the information was classified, according to current and former government officials.

Plame -- who is referred to by her married name, Valerie Wilson, in the memo -- is mentioned in the second paragraph of the three-page document, which was written on June 10, 2003, by an analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), according to a source who described the memo to The Washington Post.

The paragraph identifying her as the wife of former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV was clearly marked to show that it contained classified material at the "secret" level, two sources said. The CIA classifies as "secret" the names of officers whose identities are covert, according to former senior agency officials.

Anyone reading that paragraph should have been aware that it contained secret information, though that designation was not specifically attached to Plame's name and did not describe her status as covert, the sources said. It is a federal crime, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a federal official to knowingly disclose the identity of a covert CIA official if the person knows the government is trying to keep it secret.

Click here to read the entire article from The Washington Post

Call To Action: Sign Petition To Stop Nomination of Judge John G. Roberts Jr.

I received several emails regarding the nomination of Judge John G. Roberts Jr. today. I'm posting the contents of the one I received from MoveOn.org, the only one asking us to sign a petition that will be forwarded to our senators.

Dear MoveOn member,

In the past weeks, Republicans and Democrats have called on President Bush to nominate a moderate for the Supreme Court—someone who would honor the legacy of independent Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. But last night, President Bush nominated Judge John Roberts, a far-right lawyer and corporate lobbyist, to fill her post on the Supreme Court.

We've got to stop Roberts. He opposed clean air rules and worked to help coal companies strip-mine mountaintops. He worked with Ken Starr (yes, that Ken Starr), and tried to keep Congress from defending the Voting Rights Act. He wrote that Roe v. Wade should be "overruled," and as a lawyer argued (and won) the case that stopped some doctors from even discussing abortion.

Join our urgent petition to let our senators know we expect them to oppose John Roberts right now at:

http://political.moveon.org/roberts/?id=
5817-5264813-pieB8JyV7h_Rv.MzjyAjPg&t=3

This is one of the most important domestic fights of President Bush's career. We can win—Americans overwhelmingly want a moderate judge. But to win, we need to get the word out early that Roberts is out of the mainstream.

After you've signed, please send this message on to your friends and colleagues. We need to fight back against the misinformation that the Bush administration is putting out.

John Roberts has little experience as a judge—he was only appointed in 2003. But he's got a lot of experience as a corporate lobbyist and lawyer, consistently favoring wealthy corporations over regular Americans.

Here's a list of some of the things that make Roberts the wrong pick for the Supreme Court:

• Wrong on environmental protection: Roberts appears to want to limit the scope of the Endangered Species Act, and in papers he wrote while in law school he supported far-right legal theories about "takings" which would make it almost impossible for the government to enforce most environmental legislation.
• Wrong on civil rights: Roberts worked to keep Congress from defending parts of the Voting Rights Act.
• Wrong on human rights: As a appeals court judge, Roberts ruled that the Geneva Convention doesn't apply to some prisoners of war.
• Wrong on our right to religious freedom: Roberts argued that schools should be able to impose religious speech on attendees.
• Wrong on women's rights: Roberts wrote that "Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and should be overruled." He also weighed in on behalf of Operation Rescue, a violent anti-abortion group, in a federal case.

President Bush could have chosen many fair-minded and independent jurists to replace Sandra Day O'Connor. Instead, he chose a corporate partisan loved by Bush's right-wing base but out of step with the rest of the country.

Tell your senators they need to stop John Roberts now, at:

http://political.moveon.org/roberts/?id
=5817-5264813-pieB8JyV7h_Rv.MzjyAjPg&t=4

We'll be in touch soon about next steps. For now, please help us gather as many voices as possible to keep the Supreme Court fair. And thanks for everything you're doing.

Sincerely,

–Ben, Tanya, Justin, Jennifer and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Wednesday, July 20th, 2005

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Mike Malloy Called The Freeper Out!

On Monday's show, Mike Malloy spoke about Andy Stephenson at around the 90:00 mark. For the next few minutes, Mike spoke about the work Andy did, as well as his battle with pancreatic cancer.

At about the 93:00 minute mark, Mike read aloud Elizabeth Ferrari's Op/Ed from OpEdNews.com

Afterwards, at about the 100:00 minute mark, Mike called the freeper he believes is responsible for the PayPal fiasco, among other things, out! It was fucking beautiful!

Were YOU listening?

Go here to download Monday's show from The White Rose Society and give it a listen!

Mainstream Media Stupidity With Graphics

I HAD to post this picture because after one month it is still funnier than hell. Norah O'Donnell, is that a location or an occupation? Just wondering.

The 411 on John G. Roberts Jr.

Here's some information I Googled on President Bush's latest nominee for the Supreme Court. If you think he's going to nominate someone liberal or moderate, guess again...

John G. Roberts

Nominated to the United States Supreme Court.

* Former Deputy Solicitor for Kenneth Starr.

* Associate White House counsel for four years under the Reagan Administration.

* Overturning Roe was such a primary focus of the Reagan Administration's Justice Department that during an oral argument by the nominee to the Supreme Court a Justice asked, "Mr. Roberts, in this case, are you asking that Roe v. Wade be overruled?" His reply was, "No your honor, the issue doesn't even come up." To this the justice replied, "Well that hasn't prevented the Solicitor General from taking that position in prior cases."*

* As Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts argued in a brief before the Supreme Court that "we continue to believe that Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled. The Court’s conclusion in Roe that there is a fundamental right to an abortion...finds no support in the text, structure, or history of the Constitution."**

* As Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts filed an amicus curiae brief in NOW's case against Operation Rescue — in support of Operation Rescue, of course and in support of named individuals who routinely blocked access to clinics. At the Supreme Court level, that case was called Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic (it was NOW v. Operation Rescue at the trial and appellate levels). The brief argued that the protesters’ behavior did not discriminate against women and that blockades and clinic protests were protected speech under the First Amendment. The case helped us push congressional passage of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

* Lead counsel for Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Ky, Inc. v. Williams. The case involved a woman who was fired after asking Toyota for accommodations to do her job after being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. The court ruled that while this condition impaired her ability to work, it did not impair her ability to perform major life activities. Disability rights groups fear that this decision may erode the Americans with Disabilities Act.

* Filed an amicus brief in Adarand v. Mineta in Oct. 2001, supporting a challenge to federal affirmative action programs. He also argued against Title IX as applied to the NCAA in NCAA v. Smith.

Sources:
* NARAL
** Brief for the Respondent at 13, Rust v. Sullivan, 500 US 173, 1991

last updated 7/19/05

Damned if that doesn't sound like someone we want on our Supreme Court. Not convinced this nominee is bad news yet? Here's a listing of his campaign contributions, courtesy of Newsmeat...

Roberts, John G. Mr. Jr.
Bethesda, MD 20816
Hogan & Hartson/Attorney BUSH, GEORGE W (R)
President
BUSH FOR PRESIDENT INC. $1,000
primary 08/03/00

ROBERTS, JOHN
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON LUGAR, RICHARD G (R)
Senate - IN
FRIENDS OF DICK LUGAR INC $500
primary 04/11/00

ROBERTS, JOHN G JR
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON LLP
HOGAN & HARTSON POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,100
primary 03/08/00

ROBERTS, JOHN G JR
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON LLP
HOGAN & HARTSON POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $975
primary 03/30/99

ROBERTS, JOHN G JR
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON FITZGERALD, PETER G (R)
Senate - IL
FITZGERALD FOR SENATE INC $235
general 10/23/98

ROBERTS, JOHN G
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON FITZGERALD, PETER G (R)
Senate - IL
FITZGERALD FOR SENATE INC $500
general 06/25/98

ROBERTS, JOHN
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON RUSTHOVEN, PETER J (R)
Senate - IN
PETER RUSTHOVEN FOR SENATOR $750
primary 04/15/98

ROBERTS, JOHN G JR
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON LLP
HOGAN & HARTSON POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $975
primary 03/11/98

ROBERTS, JOHN
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON RUSTHOVEN, PETER J (R)
Senate - IN
PETER RUSTHOVEN FOR SENATOR $250
primary 12/10/97

ROBERTS, JOHN G
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON FITZGERALD, PETER G (R)
Senate - IL
FITZGERALD FOR SENATE INC $500
primary 10/29/97

ROBERTS, JOHN G JR
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON L L P
HOGAN & HARTSON POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $925
primary 03/18/97

ROBERTS, JOHN G JR
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON L L P
HOGAN & HARTSON POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $925
primary 05/25/96

ROBERTS, JOHN G
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON LLP
HOGAN & HARTSON POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $850
primary 03/02/95

ROBERTS, JOHN G JR
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON
HOGAN & HARTSON POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $850
primary 03/16/94

ROBERTS, JOHN G JR
BETHESDA, MD 20816
HOGAN & HARTSON
HOGAN & HARTSON POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $850
primary 03/12/93

We need to speak out and let President Bush know we don't want him to pack the Supreme Court with partisan judges. And let's not forget the profile Charles Lane of The Washington Post did for him on July 3.

John G. Roberts

Saturday, July 2, 2005; Page A13

John G. Roberts, 50, is considered a GOP heavyweight amid the largely Democratic Washington legal establishment.

Roberts was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2003 by President Bush. (He was also nominated by President George H.W. Bush but never received a Senate vote). He practiced law at Hogan & Hartson in the District from 1986 to 1989 and from 1993 to 2003.


From 1989 to 1993, he was the principal deputy solicitor general in the George H.W. Bush administration, helping formulate the administration's position in Supreme Court cases. In the Reagan administration, he was an aide to Attorney General William French Smith from 1981 to 1982 and an aide to White House counsel Fred Fielding from 1982 to 1986.

With his impeccable credentials -- Roberts attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School, clerked for then-Justice William H. Rehnquist Jr. on the Supreme Court and has argued frequently before the court -- the question marks about him have always been ideological. His GOP loyalties are undoubted, earning him the opposition of liberal advocacy groups, but he is not a "movement conservative," and some on the party's right doubt his commitment to their cause. His paper record is thin: As deputy solicitor general in 1990, he argued in favor of a government regulation that banned abortion-related counseling by federally funded family-planning programs. A line in his brief noted the Bush administration's belief that Roe v. Wade should be overruled.

On the D.C. Circuit, Roberts voted with two colleagues to uphold the arrest and detention of a 12-year-old girl for eating french fries on a Metro train, though his opinion noted, "No one is very happy about the events that led to this litigation." In another case, Roberts wrote a dissenting opinion that suggested Congress might lack the constitutional power to regulate the treatment of a certain species of wildlife

Do I need to dig up any more dirt on this scumbag, or are you going to sign my next Call To Action tomorrow?

Patriotic Documentary, or Morbid Curiosity?

I really like the Discovery Channel. It's one of the main reasons I have cable television. Monday nights, I'll be camped out in front of the television watching Monster House, Monster Garage, and American Chopper. But on September 11th, they're going to televise a program that I think may strike a raw nerve with many people.

The Discovery Channel will air a re-creation of the terrorist hijacking of Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers overcame the terrorists. The documentary will include 45 minutes of re-enacted events.

Although it's been four years since the attacks, I think it might be too soon to show a documentary on this event. For some viewers, watching the documentary may cause them to relive the horror of that Tuesday morning. I personally feel there is no need to TiVo this program. I'll never forget what happened, but I don't need to relive it.

For me, looking at a documentary would be like me asking to see footage of the fatal Roger Williamson Formula One accident that forever changed the role of track marshals in auto racing on July 29th, 1973.

I'll write more on Roger's accident in ten days, but you get the idea. I don't need to go down that flight path so soon.

Mainstream Media Stupidity - MSNBC Style

Monica Crowley make a blog entry this afternoon on the Connected: Coast to Coast web page regarding the sandal scandal that took place at the White House last week. It seems Miss Manners was offended because members of the Northwestern Wildcats Women's Lacrosse team showed up at the White House wearing dresses, skirts with sandals.

Like most conservatives, Monica was blinded by her anger and focused her attention on the fact that these young ladies were not properly attired for a day with the President. But liberals and progressives know when some actions do have hidden messages in them, and this was no exception.

Monica, the joke's on you.

Many people who discussed this in chat rooms and on message boards believe the women who wore the sandals had a message for the President, and it could be heard every time they took a graceful step on the White House grounds.

Flip, flop. Flip, flop. Flip, flop. Flip, flop.

I love intelligent women!

Tuesday's DSM Senate Targets

TARGETS FOR TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2005

Please contact the following Senators (even if you have
already in the past contacted them) and if the senator's direct email
does not work, use the Chief of Staff's email address provided:

Senator Mike Dewine, Ohio
webmail: http://dewine.senate.gov/request_form.cfm
140 Russell Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-2315
fax: 202-224-6519
Chief of Staff: Laurel Pressler
email: laurel_pressler@dewine.senate.gov

Senator Jon S. Corzine, New Jersey
webmail: http://corzine.senate.gov/contact.cfm
502 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3002
phone: 202-224-4744
fax: 202-228-2197
Chief of Staff: Heather Howard
email: heather_howard@corzine.senate.gov

And as always, if you wish, contact the man who reneged on his promise to the American people for an investigation into how intelligence was used:

Senator Pat Roberts R-Kansas, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee
email: pat_roberts@roberts.senate.gov
webmail: http://roberts.senate.gov/e-mail_pat.html
109 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1605
phone: (202) 224-4774
fax: 202-224-3514
Jackie Cottrell, Chief of Staff
email: jackie_cottrell@roberts.senate.gov

Third San Diego Mayor In Four Days

I'm trying to keep this straight....

Dick Murphy resigned on Friday, and Councilman Michael Zucchet takes over on an interim basis on Saturday at 12:01am.

Today, Zucchet is found guilty of corruption charges , so Councilwoman Toni Atkins takes over until Tuesday. Next week, a new mayor will be elected pro term to serve until a new mayor is elected by a special election.

Got all that?

Atkins Takes Over As Acting San Diego Mayor
KNSD-TV

SAN DIEGO - San Diego got a new acting mayor Monday after San Diego City Councilman Michael Zucchet, who was sworn in Friday night, was found guilty of corruption.

Zucchet took over Saturday at 12:01 a.m. as interim mayor, a post he had to relinquish after being been convicted of felony charges. San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy stepped down Friday amid a widening federal investigation into the handling of the city's deficit-riddled pension fund.

At a grim City Council meeting Monday afternoon, the council's six remaining members put Councilwoman Toni Atkins in charge through Tuesday. The chairs where Murphy, Inzunza and Zucchet once sat were empty; their offices were closed. Next week, the council will elect another mayor pro tem to serve until a new mayor is sworn. A July 26 election is set to pick Murphy's permanent replacement -- though that election is expected to require a November runoff of the top two finishers.

Atkins was approved by the council by a 6-0 vote.

"Our heartfelt thoughts go out to our colleagues and their families at this difficult time," said Atkins after the vote.

"It's discouraging and sad news for the city of San Diego," she said. "But as public servants, we want the residents of San Diego to know that we will continue to stay focused on the issues of the day."

Zucchet's conviction, however, leaves the nation's seventh-biggest city rudderless at one of the most troubled points in its history. Murphy resigned and left office Friday, eight months into a second term he cut short to give the city a fresh start amid a widening federal probe of San Diego's deficit-ridden pension fund.

Source: MSNBC.com

Monday's DSM Senate Targets

TARGETS FOR MONDAY, JULY 18, 2005

Please contact the following Senators (even if you have
already in the past contacted them) and if the senator's direct email
does not work, use the Chief of Staff's email address provided:

Senator Chuck Hagel, Nebraska
248 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
email form: http://hagel.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact
email: chuck_hagel@hagel.senate.gov
Tel: (202) 224-4224
Fax: (202) 224-5213
Chief of Staff: Lou Ann Linehan
email: louann_linehan@hagel.senate.gov

Senator Christopher S. Bond, Missouri
274 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2503
email form: http://bond.senate.gov/contact/contactme.cfm
email: kit_bond@bond.senate.gov
Phone: (202) 224-5721
Fax: (202) 224-8149
Chief of Staff Julie Dammann
email: julie_dammann@bond.senate.gov

And as always, if you wish, contact the man who reneged on his promise to the American people for an investigation into how intelligence was used:

Senator Pat Roberts R-KA, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee
email: pat_roberts@roberts.senate.gov
webmail: http://roberts.senate.gov/e-mail_pat.html
phone: (202) 224-4774
fax: 202-224-3514
Jackie Cottrell, Chief of Staff
email: jackie_cottrell@roberts.senate.gov

Latest Podcast Available

This is my latest podcast, and today I'll be covering the following topics:

• Housecleaning changes to my blog
• Earning a paycheck
• Donating to PanCAN
• The latest on the Downing Street Memo House Parties
• My Wingnuts Of The Week
• How To Commit Treason
• CNN skewing the facts
• More Mainstream Media Stupidity
• The San Diego political scene
• Franklin County Board of Elections In Trouble
• The Latest Update on Republican Zell Miller
• Bullshit On Arnold Schwarzenegger
• The Mexican Backlash In Hamilton, Ohio
• Save Our State’s expert opinion on the Hamilton, Ohio story
• “Public Service Announcement” -- my latest Radio News America submission
  

Click here to listen to this podcast.

Click here to subscribe to my site feed.

Click here to download the latest iPodder software.

Recommended Downloads

Although I've had this blog for about eight weeks, I don't think I've ever given you guys tips on how to enjoy all of it's benefits. What I did this morning was add links to iPodder and BlogExpress, so when you subscribe to my feed you can automatically download the latest posts and podcasts on your desktop.

Look for them under the heading "Recommended Downloads", just underneath the Contact Congress box.

To enjoy everything this blog has to offer, use iPodder to listen to the twice-weekly podcasts, and BlogExpress to read the other blog posts. The feed subscription can be found here. On that page, just copy the url that appears at the top of the page and paste it into both programs when you set up the new subscription feeds.

Please review the program's user manual or help file for more details on how to set it up.

If you use MyYahoo!, NewsGator, or MSN to subscribe to blogs, you have it made. All you need to do is scroll down the right-hand side of the screen and click on the appropriate chicklet and follow the directions for your service provider.

Big Brass Alliance Update

The following is the text from an email I received late Sunday night from Melissa at BBA. Please review the contents and feel free to pass this information along to your friends and family.

Hi, everyone.

First of all, some of my emails to you and your emails to me may not have been getting through, due to the block on the AfterDowningStreet.org URL that was instituted by Comcast's contracted filter controller, Bright Mail. See here: http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/
2005/07/email-censorship.html

The block has reportedly been fixed now, so hopefully no more shenanigans.

Secondly, Matt Cooper is talking about his grand jury testimony. This should be our big push tomorrow, and although I'm not seeing much discussion of this particular aspect yet, my post focuses on the fact that Karl Rove noted to Cooper that the information he was giving him would "be declassifed soon," which seems by any reasonable interpretation to indicate that he was giving it to him knowing it was classifed at the time. More here: http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com
/2005/07/cooper-spills-beans.html

Also, Frank Rich has a great column in the NY Times that explains how the Plame stuff is really all about Iraq. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/opinion/17rich.html?hp
He doesn't explicitly mention the Downing Street Memos, but it's a good source to start a post wherein everything can be tied together. A pattern of behavior...

Finally, next Saturday, July 23rd, is DSM Day. There are events going on around the country, about which you can find out more by going here: http://hq.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ADS

/event/distributedEventSearch.jsp?distributed_event_KEY=56

AfterDowningStreet.org is looking for bloggers to liveblog the events. If you are able to do so, please contact ADS.org co-founder David Swanson at david@davidswanson.org. Send him your name, blog title, email, phone number (if you feel comfortable sending it), and he'll get in contact with you to give you log-in information so you can liveblog at AfterDowningStreet.org.

Also, if there are no events in your area, there's still time to organize and register an event. You can sign up to host an event here: http://hq.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ADS
/event/distributedEventSignup.jsp?distributed_event_KEY=56

Resources for events are here: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/526

As always, please email me with comments, questions, etc., submit your stories to the BBA main page, and send your posts to The Heretik for inclusion in the blogswarm round-up.

Best regards,

Melissa

Latest Radio News America Commentary

Okay, I'm doing something completely different here for you guys. You're used to me making some very pointed rips with a straightforward style that gets to the point. This week, I'm going to take a stab at creative writing, no pun intended.

This is the first in a two-part commentary that takes a peek inside a fictional Blogsphere and Message Board Naturalization Service (BMBNS) agent's journal. If you're not familiar with this agency, it's a fictional one depicted in a Public Service Announcement I made to spoof one of John Kerry's action letters I receive in my inbox every other day. Please read that entry first before reading this.

Enjoy the story, because I promise there will be some significance to the plot as the week passes by.

A BMBNS Agent’s Journal – Part One
Original satirical commentary by Robbie Michaels
July 18, 2005

Journal entry - July 14, 2005, 8:30pm

I received a report of some troublemakers unwilling to disperse after being warned about vacating their makeshift home. My partner and I loaded our patrol gear inside our Ford Bronco and headed out towards the suspected vigilante encampment just outside the Radio News America message board.

As we arrived at the camp, darkness began to fall. The sunset illuminated the western sky in hues of orange and purple, and that made it difficult to make out some figures running away in the distance towards the woods. I stopped the vehicle, reached for the spotlight attached to my door, and swung it in their direction. I anticipated seeing a group of people running through the open field, but all I could see were the bushes moving as the suspected vigilantes made their escape through the trees.

I drove up to the edge of the encampment, reached for the ignition key with my fingers, and turned it off. As the motor stopped, I cracked the window and listened as the wind blew lightly through the dry grass. I couldn’t pick up any other sounds, and from what I could tell from scanning the scene through my windshield, the camp was deserted.

The camp itself looked like a typical shelter you’d find in the rolling hills. Several tents encircled what appeared to be several cardboard boxes attached to each other to form a makeshift home with separate rooms.

“I’m going to check out the camp for stragglers,” my partner said as she grabbed the steel door handle with her delicate fingers. I noticed a dim light coming from one of the tents a few yards away, and immediately reached out with my hand to grab hers.

I could feel her muscles tighten up and her pulse racing as if my touch sent a shiver through her body. I gazed into her blue eyes as she turned her head to face me, and she gave me a glance that showed neither objection nor subservience. She leaned closer to me and I could feel her breathe as she closed her eyes and parted her lips. However, as much as I wanted to express my true feelings for her, I couldn’t. We were on duty, and we had to check out this encampment first.

“Hold on a minute,” I whispered, as I nodded my head towards the tent in front of us. “Take a look over there.”

As she turned her head to look, I leaned back towards my side and swung the spotlight onto the tent. Both my partner and I noticed the entrance was left open, as if someone had left in a hurry. The peel-away door swayed back and forth in the light breeze, and we could see the glow of a bright light coming from inside.

“That looks like a computer, doesn’t it?” she asked.

“You’re right,” I replied, as both of us exited the vehicle simultaneously to investigate.

We shut the doors behind us and removed our weapons from their holsters, not knowing what to expect. The possibility of someone using a personal computer out here in the wilderness surprised me, because there was no discernible power source in the area. Even if it were a group of people out here on a camping trip, I’ve never known anyone to pack electronic gear with the exception of a GPS system. My mind could only think of two questions as we walked towards the tent.

Where is the generator powering it?
Who would bring a computer out here?

With guns drawn, we started towards the tent, cutting a path through the dry grass as it whistled in the wind. As we arrived at the entrance, my partner removed her flashlight from her belt and shined it inside the opening. I squatted down and pointed my gun inside, but the tent was empty except for a laptop computer, a sleeping bag, and what looked like survival gear.

I crawled inside on all fours and reached for the laptop computer lying on the floor, its screensaver illuminating the tent with images of scantily clad women. “Take a look at this,” I said as I removed it and held it up for her to examine. “No power supply. It’s running on a battery.”

“Wireless,” she muttered as she flicked the antenna protruding from the adapter card attached to the side of the computer with her fingertip. “Someone was trying to communicate to someone else through the Internet from here. But why?”

“I don’t know,” I replied. “Something about this doesn’t make sense.”

My instincts told me to look for more clues inside the tent, so I reached for my flashlight, turned the barrel counter-clockwise to turn it on, and crawled back inside for another look around. I flashed the light toward the other side of the tent, and I noticed something protruding from underneath a pillow on top of the ruffled sleeping bag.

I reached for what turned out to be the corner of a laminated plastic card about the size of a state driver’s license, but I noticed it was attached to a key ring with several other cards. I flipped through each of them, and most looked like valid identification cards. None of them resembled the matricula consular cards I expected to find. I looked again at them, and one in particular caught my attention. It not only had a name, but what appeared to be a valid address.

“Hey, I think I found something.”

“What?” my partner said as I crawled out of the tent. After I dusted a couple layers of dirt off my uniform, I grabbed the computer and handed her the key ring I just found. She flipped through the cards, but wasn’t impressed with my discovery.

“There’s a bunch of identification cards here, but they all look the same,” she protested. “Why would someone need all of these cards if they’re not an illegal alien?”

“Keep looking,” I replied as I turned off the computer and folded it underneath my arm. “There’s one card that should get your attention.” My partner kept looking at each card until her eyes met one that looked quite different than the others. The change in her facial expression told me something was very wrong.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” she said, raising her voice. “What is this guy doing here with a computer in the middle of nowhere?”

“I don’t know, but I bet he wasn’t alone,” I replied as she cocked her pistol and held it up in front of her face, the chrome of the barrel reflecting the light from my flashlight.

“I’m going to look for other clues,” she said as she walked swiftly towards the cardboard house in the center of camp. “I bet we’ll find something else they left behind.”

“You’re probably right,” I said as I followed behind her. “But as soon as we’re done we’ve got to report this back to central command.”

To be continued…

Public Service Announcement From RobbDogg's Rips

This is one of two submissions to Radio News America intended as satire. Hey, there's a group of people who need to be parodied because they deserve it and you need a reason to smile.

This is patterned after those form emails John Kerry sends every other day to take action on an item MoveOn.org already told us to sign a petition for a day earlier. Enjoy!


Dear Liberals and Progressives,

I have been appointed by the Blogsphere & Message Board Naturalization Service (BMBNS) to speak out on a growing issue in the Internet community. We have to do everything possible to prevent a turd blossom-type eyesore from sprouting up all over the Internet.

The problem is the existence of makeshift encampments across blogs and web sites.

These encampments are similar to the ones you expect to find outside major cities throughout Southern California, but these have absolutely nothing to do with the homeless or illegal immigration. These Hooverville-like encampments sprouting up on blogs and web sites belong to cowards who want to impose their warped view of reality on us, but for the most part they do not have the courage to register on a message board and follow the rules.

Instead, they loiter around the “Comments to the editor” section or its equivalent like a bunch of underage kids at the neighborhood convenience store hoping to get someone walking by to score them their first twelve-pack of beer.

You’ve witnessed this behavior before, haven’t you? Think back to the last time you went to the local convenience store for a pack of smokes or the latest edition of FHM.

You parked your car in front of the store and noticed a few degenerates hanging out by the payphone around the corner, hiding so the clerks inside don’t notice them from behind the counter. With money they pooled together from odd jobs like beating up fellow students for their lunch money, they get the attention of someone walking by that they feel looks cool enough to contribute to their delinquency.

If successful, the adult takes the cash, goes inside to buy the beer, and then walks around the corner and hands the alcohol to the kids. The delinquents then run home to their safe house and take their first underage dose of liquid courage.

After a few sips and the resulting funny faces they make as they swallow the amber liquor, they wonder amongst themselves, “How do adults drink this shit?”

I wouldn't know. I don’t drink pisswater beer, and I refuse to contribute to their delinquency.

You should do the same. Make them stop the loitering!

For example, on a number of blogs and web sites, a few self-titled Truthseekers have camped out and turned the comments section into a makeshift message board. Because there are no rules and no moderators, these vigilantes are free to spew their venom without repercussions or exposing their identity. It’s places like this that have become a black eye on the face of the Internet community.

These Hoovervilles of the Internet age provide a breeding ground for violence, hatred, racism, and have no place on your web site. They should be shut down immediately.

On behalf of the BMBNS, I’m asking all of you to close down your comments sections and invite these self-loathing degenerates to register accounts on your message boards if they want their voices to be heard. Give them a forum to express their views in front of their peers.

After all, we are their peers if they are the liberal watchdogs or moderates they claim to be.

So do your part and clean up your section of the Internet community today. Evict the residents from your local Hoovervilles. Make them take down their tents, pack their boxes, and collect their trash. Afterwards, educate them on your rules and regulations and welcome them into your online community with open arms.

And then kick their ass to the curb if they disrupt your community, especially if they stand by the phone booth outside the convenience store and ask you to buy them a twelve-pack of beer.

Sincerely,
Robbie Michaels
BMBNS Spokesman

Minutemen Leave After ONE Day

Let me pinch myself. Okay, I'm convinced this really happened!

Those of you who live outside of Southern California have to understand we don't care for the Minutemen Militia. Even though I didn't have anything more than a hunch to go on (just like those Republican talking points we hear about all the time on message boards), I believed that there would be problems for the Minutemen if they patrolled the border in San Diego County.

Can I say it? Please? I told you so!

Minutemen Leave After Clash With Protesters

SAN DIEGO - They said they were going to protect the borders for the next three weeks, but after only one night in San Diego County, the minutemen have apparently thrown in the towel, NBC 7/39 reported.

On Saturday six volunteer spotters, some of them carrying guns, took positions along the U.S.-Mexico border ready to report illegal immigrants crossing into San Diego County.

However, on Sunday, the group calling themselves California Minutemen were nowhere to be found. Why they left remains unclear, but protestors who also showed up Saturday may have had something to do with it. Protestors and the volunteer spotters clashed in a war of words, NBC 7/39 reported. "The main thing is to persuade them to go home and let somebody else do the job that they're supposed to, and our people were very successful in that," a protester said. The protestors claim they've won this round and they say they plan to stay at the border all week, fighting for immigrant rights.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8609369/

Elizabeth Ferrari's Article on Andy Stephenson

Elizabeth Ferrari wrote a wonderful article on Andy Stephenson that appered on OpEdNews.com Thursday morning. I apoloize for not posting this earlier.

Please check out the comments section at the bottom of the article. You'll see what I'm talking about when I discussed getting rid of the "Hoovervilles of the Internet Age" in my Op/Ed for Radio News America.


The Stalking of Andy Stephenson

Did Stevenson Die because of medical care delays caused by rabid right wing hate?

by Elizabeth Ferrari

http://www.opednews.com

I have lived for the last ten weeks with Andy Stephenson’s cancer. And in the most useless way. I couldn’t take it away, couldn’t relieve him of it, couldn’t mind it for a few hours so he could be freed to do the election reform work he so loved.

Andy was one of the most luminous people I have never met, because we never shared room temperature. I read his posts to a discussion board, then exchanged email with him. Later, when he was casting around for access to medical care, we had phone contact, increasingly as his situation became more obviously urgent.

And through the unfolding of our friendship, I understood that this being on the other side of the keyboard or the phone line was remarkable, was a gift walking among us. Sometimes a prickly gift or a demanding one but, all gifts have their peculiar qualities, if only to soften brilliance that laid bare would be blinding for most eyes.

I've heard Andy jubilant and terrified, laughing and sobbing. Playful and petulant. My deepest regret is that I won’t hear him again.

When Andy knew his ill health was serious, I offered to make calls for him. I have made calls for families unable to find resources for over a decade. The public health care system nearly killed my husband, and when we were given a reprieve, I swore I'd work to help anyone to find the care they needed.

Tony Stewart Wins Again!

I can't help it. I know this is a political blog, but I have to recognize greatness when I see it. Especially with that unique way of celebrating his wins. Just look at that picture!


Stewart continues midseason surge
Associated Press

LOUDON, N.H. -- Tony Stewart climbed the fence in front of the grandstand in what has become his trademark victory celebration.

And a crowd of 100,000 at New Hampshire International Speedway roared its approval Sunday as he grabbed the checkered flag and pumped his fist in the air -- just as he did two weeks earlier after a victory at Daytona. He called himself fat then, and this time heaped on more self-deprecating humor.

"Trust me, I'll be glad to be panting like a dog when I get up there," he said. "It's something they like and I'll keep doing it for them."

Stewart said he needs a personal trainer.

"Yes, I'm still too old and too fat to be doing that stuff," the 34-year-old driver said. "I'm probably going to fall and bust my butt before its over. I'm glad they let me go through the gate instead of climbing back down."

Stewart started 13th and wound up winning for the third time in four races, passing at will inside and outside in a dominant performance in the New England 300.

"It was as good as I thought," Stewart said of his car. "This thing was awesome from the start. As soon we got to the front, I knew we had a great car, but you don't know what they're showing."

SOS's Take On Mexican Backlash in Ohio

Taken from our favorite nutjobs at the Save Our State message boards. Check out the mentality of these fuckers. They say they're anti-immigration? More like anti-Mexican to me, vato!

And you wonder why I make fun of people's ignorance...

Kathy58
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/a...acial_tension_2

Literally. While I do deplore violence, notice that the invaders are thinking of moving away. While violence is distasteful, it does work.

I wish the good Americans of Ohio much luck in cleaning up the streets. In California kids are killed and raped every day, with a ho hum, it's the culture.
Ohioans know how to take care of business.

Mexicans are invaders? The last thing they invaded was the Alamo...and they kicked your ass there, too!

Cat Patrol
Kathy, I was born and raised in Akron Ohio, and believe me, I didn't know any Hispanics there while I was growing up. I went back to Akron last year to visit relatives, and my old neighborhood has quite a few Mexicans now. They even have day laborers there, hanging outside of Home Depot.

Almost looks like something from southern California, doesn't it?

What is it with this fascination with Home Depot? Because they support the gay community? Because migrant laborers can be found there? Because you hate Tony Stewart?

calicool
I think you don't actually deplore this but deep inside you're quite comfortable with the KKK running around causing terror.

Well, are you?

Violence never works.

I was about to ask that same question, calicool.

Cat Patrol
What "KKK" are you talking about? There is no more organized KKK in this country. The KKK hasn't been a factor in any sense since the 1960s, and in reality since the 1920s.

If you want to look at racist terror groups, look at the Crips, the Bloods, or La Raza.

So who organizes the cross burnings, the marches, and rear bumper body draggings in the South, the Boy Scouts? The Crips, the Bloods, and La Raza as terrorist organizations? Who do they terrorize outside of their neighborhoods? Ignorance at it's finest.

AyatollaGondola
KKK? ....Oh! because of the white sheets?

Hey, it's the 21st century. White sheets are no longer required to be a bigot.

Cat Patrol
You know what? I 'm getting tired of the KKK getting brought up any time Whites want to defend themselves.

In the first place, there aint no more KKK, in the sense that they can change things. The KKK has been so marginalized and demonized, that they have absolutely no power. The KKK has become straw man argument, in the sense that anyone who wants to go against Whites now have a convenient straw man to kick around
"What? You don't like illegal immigration? Then you must be a member of the KKK!"

You know what? I'm getting tired of you playing the race card for everything that's wrong with America. What? You don't like illegal immigration? You must not be profiting from it and you're insanely jealous.

AyatollaGondola
I believe he was referring to the combination of white hoods and violence.

I think there are some elements left og the KKK, even around here; but they have been decimated as a public entity by lawsuits and other pressures. They seem to operate in a more muted fashion, and other different names.

White Aryan Resistance? The Minutemen Project?

Kathy58
Conflicts are defined by the extremes on either side. One one side, is mecha, on the other is the KKK (now defunct but let's use them anyway). Those in the middle are eventually pushed to one side or other in varying degrees. So you question really is, would I rather the KKK was running things or mecha? Am I more comfortable with KKK running around causing terror, or mecha running around causing terror?

Rather silly question isn't it? On the other hand, it does show that you have an awareness that individuals are being forced to choose up sides. You just don't like one of the sides.

To the contrary, violence ALWAYS works. You simply need the proper amount of violence. The proper amount of violence is ALWAYS more violence than your opponent.

Violence won WWII. Violence got the Palestinians more concessions they would have hoped for. Violence got a supermarket built in Watts after the 1992 riots. Of course it didn't last more than a few months. It was robbed into closing within six months after it opened.

Now violence is causing the invader in Ohio to withdraw.

You know what they say.... Don't bring a knife to a gunfight.

The KKK is defunct? Somehow they have a web site and they're selling t-shirts letting everyone know they're still around. Look here!

Violence solves all of our problems? So how come it's not working in Iraq, you dumbfuck? How come we don't feel safer taking public transit? Knowing you, you probably wouldn't mind an explosive going off at the Baldwin Park Metrolink station becaue that would take care of removing your artwork, right?

As your chickenhawk leader once crowed, "Mission Accomplished!"

Uhhuh35
I had an interesting conversation with some "Moonies" the other week. They tried to convert me and get me to go to one of their meetings but I told them I'm a baptised Christian. One was a naturalized philipina and the other was a jewish lady from europe, she didn't state where.
The subject of the war came up and they both stated that "war is never the answer, nothing positive can come from it." They were both pacifists and were against all forms of war.
Really? I replied. I asked both of them if the revolutionary war that established this country was "worth it". Of course they supported America and it's freedoms but didn't answer the question.
I then asked about the civil war that kept the country together and ended slavery was "worth it"? No answer.
Well how about WWII? The war that ended nazism in europe, and saved the jews from the holocaust. I looked directly at the jewish lady, she could only look away. I was shocked.
I guess some people are so cowed by political correctness that they won't even consider just protecting themselves for ANY reason.

Not me.

So when did violence become a Christian value? I must have missed that in my Bible readings.

William
Violence works. Definitely! How do you think the US was established? If you're not willing to take up arms in defense of your loved ones, your family, your friends, and your nation, how do you expect to win?

The KKK are amateurs and their antics are potentially counter-productive. What is needed is something more sophisticated, subtle, professional, serious.

Like what? Care to tell us? I'm sure the FBI would be interested to know what your idea is. And who are we defending our loved ones against, anyway?

lance sjogren
As to the pacifists.

Some people are too simple minded to see things in anything but black and white.

And are most comfortable with a philosophy that is simple and covers everything.

Pacifism is one.

Tolerance for illegal immigration is another.

People who harbor such views think they are being compassionate, while in actuality the long term consequences if their views were to prevail would be a society in which cruelty would be the norm.

Violence is black and white, you fucking retard! Your either fight or cower in fear. Oh yeah, do you have any proof that cruelty would be the norm if pacifism and tolerance prevailed? Or is this another one of those bullshit Republican talking points based on what flies out of your ass instead of cold, hard facts?

Click here to see the thread, including William's burning Mexican flag avatar.