Friday's DSM Senate Targets

TARGETS FOR FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2005

In honor of the last day of this campaign, we have listed every member of the Senate Intelligence Committee for your letter-writing, phone-calling, and emailing pleasure.

Take some extra time today and this weekend to 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

Senator Christopher S. Bond, Missouri
274 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2503
webmail: 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

Senator Saxby Chambliss, Georgia
webmail: http://chambliss.senate.gov/Contact/default.cfm?pagemode=1
416 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3521
fax: 202-224-0103
Chief of Staff: Krister Holladay
email: krister_holladay@chambliss.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

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

Senator Carl Levin, Michigan
webmail: http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
email: senator@levin.senate.gov
269 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2202
phone: 202-224-6221
fax: 202-224-1388
Chief of Staff: David Lyles
email: david_lyles@levin.senate.gov

Senator Trent Lott
webmail: http://lott.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Email
487 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-6253
fax: 202-224-2262
Chief of Staff: William Gottshall
email: william_gottshall@lott.senate.gov

Senator Barbara Mikulski, Maryland
webmail: http://mikulski.senate.gov/contactme/mailform.html
503 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
phone: 202-224-4654
fax: 202-224-8858
Chief of Staff: Julia Frifield
email: julia_frifield@mikulski.senate.gov

Senator Harry Reid, Nevada
webmail: http://reid.senate.gov/email_form.cfm
528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3542
fax: 202-224-7327
Chief of Staff: Susan McCue
email: Susan_McCue@reid.senate.gov

Senator Jay Rockefeller, West Virginia
webmail: http://rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm
531 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
phone: 202-224-6472
fax: 202-224-7665
Chief of Staff: Kerry Ates
email: kerry_ates@rockefeller.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 Richter
email: john_richter@snowe.senate.gov

Senator John Warner, Virginia
webmail: http://warner.senate.gov/contact/contactme.cfm
email: senator@warner.senate.gov
225 Russell Senate Office 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 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 Kardon
email: josh_kardon@wyden.senate.gov

And as always, be sure to 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

Thanks to everyone who participated in the campaign!
Stay tuned for the next step....

My Op/Ed on Duncan Hunter

Okay readers, this Op/Ed is going to shock you. This time, I'm playing nice because Duncan Hunter (R-CA) did something unpredictable Thursday morning during the CAFTA vote.

He kept his word.

The following Op/Ed will appear later this morning on Radio News America, and was recorded for a future NorthSouth broadcast on Unfiltered News Network. It explains everything.

Common Ground
Original Op/Ed by Robbie Michaels
July 29, 2005

It’s not often that I agree with Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA). As a matter of fact, I could almost go as far and say I’ve agreed to disagree with him on just about any political issue. However, Thursday marked a special day in our relationship. For the first time, we found common ground on an issue we are both passionate about.

On June 29th, I posted a link on my blog for readers and listeners to sign Care2’s petition to urge their representatives to vote no on CAFTA. I was among over 15,000 people who signed the petition, and two weeks later I received a form letter from Duncan Hunter.

When I arrived home from work and opened my mailbox, I instantly recognized his letter on top of the pile of fast food restaurant coupons and unsolicited credit card offers. The “U.S. House of Representatives” printed in boldface on the left-hand corner, as well as Duncan Hunter’s signature on the opposite side, drew my attention as I laid the mail on the kitchen counter.

I leaned against the counter, reached for a steak knife and sliced the envelope across the top so I could grab the letter. I unfolded it, expecting to read the usual drivel about how Duncan’s happy to hear from me, and then explain in detail why he voted for a bill that I opposed.

I read the contents of the letter, and the first two paragraphs sounded the same as the previous letters I’ve received. However, the third paragraph made my heart stop. While I read each sentence, my hands went numb with shock, and the letter nearly slipped through my trembling fingers into the kitchen sink. After I regained my composure, I couldn’t hold back the smile that crossed my lips.

In his letter, Duncan stated he was very concerned with CAFTA and the effects it would have on American jobs in the textile and agricultural industries. He also stated the fact that CAFTA is based primarily after NAFTA, and he believed that this trade agreement should be opposed.

After all the dissenting form letters I’ve received from Duncan Hunter in the past, I finally got one in which we agreed on a political issue. I was pleasantly surprised to read Duncan’s words that evening, but I was still concerned about the possibility that he would not keep his promise when it was time to vote on CAFTA.

Just after midnight Thursday, the House passed CAFTA by a narrow margin. Immediately, fellow progressives wanted to know the names of Democrats who turned their backs on their constituents and voted for the trade agreement. On the other hand, I wanted to know how my state’s representatives voted.

On Yahoo! News, I found the House Roll Call on CAFTA and scanned down the alphabetized list of states until I found California. As expected, every Democrat voted against CAFTA. On the Republican side, all but one representative sold out the future of blue-collar America.

Duncan Hunter cast that one dissenting vote.

Although Duncan and I are polar opposites on the political spectrum, it is satisfying to know that a Republican who represents me in the House of Representatives had the courage to vote with their conscience and not tow the party line. Even though we didn’t stop CAFTA from passing, I appreciate Duncan Hunter’s efforts, and I won’t forget he kept his promise to me and other constituents who voiced their concerns on this issue.

To show my appreciation, I’m serving lemon-baked fish, fresh fruit, steamed vegetables, and rice pilaf at my friend’s upcoming dinner party. No pun intended.

More Rick Santorum Hypocrisy

The following appeared in the "Letters To The Editor" section of the Opinion page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on July 21, 2005...

Not moral messages

As a teacher for the Diocese of Pittsburgh for 14 years, one important lesson I learned was that no matter what I said to the child, whatever the parents said superseded my message. What parents say and how they live sends a message stronger than any teacher's voice no matter what the issue.

Sen. Rick Santorum and his wife have taught their children a powerful lesson on civic responsibility by refusing to pay any tuition money to the Penn Hills School District for their children who attended the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School ("Penn Hills Loses Bid to Charge Santorum," July 12). Released from that payment on a technicality shows that even an upstanding, moral gentleman like Sen. Santorum teaches his children the following lessons:

1) Take advantage of the system whenever you can.

2) The little guy pays while the rich and powerful guy gets away with it.

3) As a Catholic, you have no obligation to pay your share to the common good in spite of Catholic social doctrine.

Finally, I am shocked that our religious leaders who see Sen. Santorum as some sort of faith-and-morals hero have not spoken up on this issue at all.

SISTER LIGUORI ROSSNER
Sisters for Christian Community
Bloomfield

http://post-gazette.com/pg/05202/541074.stm

My Op/Ed On Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Lawsuit

This is another Op/Ed I wrote for both Radio News America and Unfiltered News Network. The text version will be posted on RNA later today, and the audio version will be part of a future UNN broadcast.

It's also the main reason why I didn't update the blog until an hour ago.

Opportunistic Bastards
Original Op/Ed by Robbie Michaels
June 28, 2005

I was expecting this. Seriously, I was. The only thing I find surprising with this case is that it wasn’t filed in Southern California, the land of the frivolous lawsuits.

Wednesday afternoon, an 85-year-old grandmother sued Rockstar Games and its parent company, New York-based Take Two Interactive Software Inc., for her own negligence. On behalf of consumers nationwide, Florence Cohen sued the manufacturer of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for engaging in false, misleading, and deceptive practices.

Before you pass judgment on this subject, let’s get a few facts straight about this case:

• The practice of placing hidden scenes within video games is commonplace in the industry.
• An adult in a position of authority purchased a product for a minor that is clearly intended for mature audiences.
• No one has publicly stated whether or not the 14-year-old accessed the hidden scenes via a cheat code or any other type of game modification.
  

I’m going to play devil’s advocate here. The hell with it, I’ll play the devil himself.

This lawsuit stinks like a rotting fish exposed to oxygen and direct sunlight. We have a credibility issue here. First, the timing of the suit is questionable, especially since it comes on the heels of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-NY) request for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Rockstar Games.

And I’m going to ask the golden questions no one else will.

Why did someone in an obvious position of authority purchase a video game for a minor, when the package was clearly marked on the front “M”, as in, “For people age 17 and over”?

Since the game was clearly marked “M”, is it now possible that a district attorney could prosecute Florence Cohen, and other adults who purchased this game for their children, for contributing to the delinquency of a minor?

On behalf of today’s children, I’m telling you it’s time to tell their parents to take responsibility for their own actions and quit blaming others for their own mistakes!

Rockstar labeled the game appropriately upon its release last year. With the number of adults purchasing and playing video games increasing, the retailer selling the video game cannot determine if the person on the other side of the sales counter will actually play it or not.

Unless of course, the adult looks like an 85-year-old grandmother who may no longer have the dexterity to push a sequence of buttons and simultaneously maneuver a couple of joysticks with their thumbs.

What this class action lawsuit suffers from is the same problem that afflicts all class action lawsuits. Who wins here? The plaintiffs, who may split a headline grabbing, multi-million dollar settlement? The defendants, who may get to keep their profits from sales of the video game but pay up the nose in attorney fees in the process?

No. The attorneys will be the winners. They always win in class action lawsuits, regardless of the outcome.

While millions of consumers fight over their miniscule shares of the financial judgment, and Rockstar counts their blessings they reached an agreement to sweep everything under the rug, some Manhattan attorney who filed this lawsuit will be laughing all the way to the bank with the lion’s share of the settlement money at their expense.

And that’s why I call attorneys opportunistic bastards.

Thursday's DSM Senate Targets

TARGETS FOR THURSDAY, JULY 28, 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 Jay Rockefeller, West Virginia
webmail: http://rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm
531 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
phone: 202-224-6472
fax: 202-224-7665
Chief of Staff: Kerry Ates
email: kerry_ates@rockefeller.senate.gov

Senator Dianne Feinstein, California
webmail: http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.htm
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3841
fax: 202-228-3954
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

Call To Action: Oppose The Parental Notification & Child Protection Act

I received this from Care2 yesterday afternoon...

Dear Robbie,

As part of a special election called by Governor Schwarzenegger, Californians will see a dangerous initiative on the ballot this November. Qualifying for the ballot is a parental notification measure on a woman's access to abortion, which threatens the health and well being of young women in our state.

Sign the petition: http://www.care2.com/go/z/26327

The key issue that this initiative ignores, is that real family communication begins at home, not at the ballot box. The best way to protect our daughters is to begin talking to them about responsible, appropriate sexual behavior when they're young and maintaining open lines of communication as they get older. Our focus should be on pregnancy prevention through comprehensive sex education, which recent polls show that 94% of Americans support.

In truth, this proposed amendment to California's constitution would do nothing to reduce the number of unintended teen pregnancies - pregnancies that have declined 40% in California over the past decade without government mandates like this one!

Join us in opposing The Parental Notification and Child Protection Act.

Raising a teen today isn't easy, but what parents need most are real world solutions, not constitutional amendments.

---

Thank you for taking action today!

- Dawn S
Care2 and ThePetitionSite team

Call To Action: Stop WalMart's Union Busting Tactics

This arrived in my inbox from Care2 yesterday afternoon...

Dear Robbie

It seems like every day brings another scandal about Wal-Mart's ruthless labor tactics. In a recent example, workers at a Wal-Mart store in Jonquière, Quebec tried to form a union. But rather than negotiate with the employees for better wages and healthcare, Wal-Mart simply closed the store and laid-off all of its workers.

Sign the petition: http://www.care2.com/go/z/26435

Sadly, Wal-Mart's aggressive campaign to prevent its workers from forming unions continues unabated. When Wal-Mart's workers try to organize, they often endure threats, discrimination, intimidation, and even firings. Is this any way to treat employees whose goal is merely to sit down with management to discuss fair pay, more affordable health care, and worker safety concerns?

Wal-Mart's behavior has a huge impact on our society. The company employs a staggering 1.3 million people in the U.S. alone - from students working to pay for school, to single parents supporting families and elderly employees looking to supplement a fixed income. While they struggle to make ends meet, Wal-Mart, the world's largest company, rakes in $10 billion a year in profit.

Clearly, Wal-Mart can afford to give its workforce a slightly bigger piece of the pie. But to succeed against this corporate behemoth, we'll need your help.

Tell Wal-Mart that workers rights are human rights; let them know their union-busting tactics must stop: http://www.care2.com/go/z/26435

Thank you for taking action today!

---

- Dawn Sanders
Care2 and ThePetition

Call To Action: Save Social Security

I received this email from Sojourners yesterday afternoon...

Dear Robbie,

Take a break from this summer's heat wave and help shape the debate on Social Security.

The discussion about Social Security raises fundamental moral questions about government and the common good; about how we honor commands to "Honor your father and your mother" and care for those in need.

The current focus on privatization in the Social Security debate is too narrow. Private accounts gamble with Social Security's basic guarantee. They threaten the safety net for too many, cut benefits, and do not address the coming Social Security shortfall or extend the program's solvency. This affects us all. YOU can help protect the guarantee.

»Click here to sign our petition.

Without Social Security, nearly half of elderly Americans would be in poverty. For nearly two-thirds of the elderly, Social Security provides the majority of their income. Over one-third of benefits from Social Security go to non-retirees: widows, the disabled, and low-income kids. YOUR voice can help protect them.

Tell members of Congress to read today's issue of Roll Call (a leading Capitol Hill paper) and spend their August recess reflecting on five principles for keeping Social Security's promise for all God's people.

With this Roll Call ad, Call to Renewal and Sojourners have launched a campaign to save Social Security. We need YOUR help! In coming weeks, we'll offer ways to lift YOUR voice by:

• Helping us place another national ad to "put a face on Social Security."
• Joining a Social Security birthday party near you on August 13 or14.
• Attending a town hall meeting sponsored by the faith community.
• Visiting elected leaders in their home states.

For today, simply join - and start shaping - the discussion. Tell your members of Congress YOU will be watching.

Call To Action: Close Corporate Loophole Leaving Veterans Out In The Cold

I received this email from Care2 yesterday afternoon...

Hi Robbie,

As Californians, each of us pays taxes to fund services like healthcare and education. Companies that do business in our state pay taxes, too - or at least they're supposed to. But there's a loophole in our law that lets some corporations do business in California without being taxed - and Governor Schwarzenegger refuses to close it!

Large corporations should be made to pay taxes just like everybody else -- I urge you to sign our join our fight for fairness at http://go.care2.com/28748

That's right. Because of one loophole, some companies can do business in California and avoid paying taxes anywhere!

And did you know that by closing this loophole, the state would save enough to offer a refundable health insurance tax credit to returning California National Guard troops and their families?

This tax credit would give those who have given so much something they deserve, something they've earned -- access to decent healthcare.

Our soldiers have left their families behind to defend our country. They have risked their lives to keep us safe and spread democracy. What contribution to our society could corporations that have benefited from a too generous loophole do to match that?

It is time that Governor Schwarzenegger get his priorities straight. It is time to make sure that our troops are protected against the financial risk of sickness and injury when they return home.

If you would like your fellow Californians returning home from war to be treated fairly, I urge you to sign our petition and tell Governor Schwarzenegger to do the right thing: close the corporate tax loophole and provide health insurance for our Guard members.

Thank you!

Michael Lawley,
Care2 and ThePetitionSite team

DSM Update From John Conyers

The following is an email I received from John Conyers yesterday afternoon...

No More Pardons for Traitor-gate Criminals

Convicted Previously of National Security Crimes, Elliott Abrams Joins Rove and Libby as Latest Figures Newest Figure in Traitor-gate

Dear Robbie:

Did you know that Elliot Abrams, pardoned by the first President Bush for the Iran-Contra crimes he committed under the Reagan Administration, now works for the Bush White House? And has been implicated in the leak of Valerie Plame's covert identity?

I have sent a letter to President Bush asking him to say right now that he will not pardon anyone found guilty of criminal offenses related to the disclosure of Valerie Plame’s CIA cover. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald may indict senior White House officials in this case. Join me in demanding that the President not pardon anyone found guilty in his administration who compromises our national security! To send your own copy of this letter to President Bush by email, click here. Our goal is to get at least 10,000 people to email the White House and we will post our tally updates daily on the JohnConyers.com website.

Nine of my Judiciary Committee colleagues also joined me yesterday in sending a letter to the Inspector General seeking an investigation into the 12-hour delay taken by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez before notifying White House staff of the need to preserve documents relating to the Department of Justice’s Valerie Plame leak investigation. Even more troubling is that the Department of Justice only began its investigation 67 days after the CIA first requested it, and only after the Agency asked DoJ four times. To see a copy of the letter, click here.

Treason-gate House Parties

Thank you for signing up for House Party events. I hope you were able to find one in your neighborhood. See reports and photos from house parties across the country at ConyersBlog.com. Please also consider registering and posting your own comments about this past weekend’s events. We would love to hear from you.

As you know, Ambassador Joseph Wilson joined me on a conference call into 320 House Parties with Air America host Randi Rhodes and Democracy Radio's Stephanie Miller. In the call, Ambassador Wilson touched on an element of the emerging scandal with the Administration's leak of Valerie Plame's CIA cover that we would all do well to keep in mind. The Administration's leaks and the Downing Street memos are part of the same issue: they both reflect desperate attempts by the Bush White House to preserve this web of lies that got us into this war under false pretenses.

To listen to a recording of the conference call, visit my website at JohnConyers.com.

Follow the breaking news on Traitor-gate and the Downing Street Minutes on the Stephanie Miller and Randi Rhodes newscasts.

On the front page of my website I have highlighted all the action items that we need to do following the house parties. Click here to take action now.

Please continue to stay in touch and stay involved. It is from the ground up that we will defeat the lies and deceit of this Administration. You are making a difference.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Conyers, Jr.

Hillary Pisses Off The Left Again

Hillary, what am I going to do with you?

First, you impersonate the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) by bitching and moaning about a little sex in a video game. Now, you want us to drift to the Republican Light side of the Democratic Party?

Are you nuts? That's the same tactic that got us where we are now. Face down with our heads stuck in the sand and our asses in the air!

Clinton Angers Left With Call for Unity
Senator Accused of Siding With Centrists
by Dan Balz

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's call for an ideological cease-fire in the Democratic Party drew an angry reaction yesterday from liberal bloggers and others on the left, who accused her of siding with the centrist Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) in a long-running dispute over the future of the party.

Long a revered figure by many in the party's liberal wing, Clinton (D-N.Y.) unexpectedly found herself under attack after calling Monday for a cease-fire among the party's quarreling factions and for agreeing to assume the leadership of a DLC-sponsored initiative aimed at developing a more positive policy agenda for the party.

The reaction highlighted the dilemma Democratic politicians face trying to satisfy energized activists on the left -- many of whom are hungering for party leaders to advance a more full-throated agenda and more aggressively confront President Bush -- while also cultivating the moderate Democrats and independents whose support is crucial to winning elections. The challenge has become more acute because of the power and importance grass-roots activists, symbolized by groups such as MoveOn.org and liberal bloggers, have assumed since the 2004 election.

The most pointed critique of Clinton came in one of the most influential blogs on the left, Daily Kos out of Berkeley, Calif., which called Clinton's speech "truly disappointing" and said she should not provide cover for an organization that often has instigated conflict within the party.

Click here to read the entire article at CommonDreams.org

Racism Runs Off Minutemen Leader

File this story in the "I told you so!" filing cabinet!

The leader of the Texas branch of the Minutemen Project resigned, stating the group lacked structure and claimed racist tendencies among members from his area.

I'm nearly as speechless as you are.

July 27, 2005, 12:30AM

Texas leader of Minuteman group resigns
Associated Press

VICTORIA — The Texas leader of the Minuteman volunteer border patrol group has resigned, saying the chapter lacks structure and claiming racist tendencies among members from his area, a newspaper reported.

Bill Parmley, a Goliad County landowner who heads the Texas chapter of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, resigned by e-mail Monday in a letter to Chris Simcox, the group's national president, and Goliad County Sheriff Robert DeLaGarza, the Victoria Advocate reported in today's editions.

The Minuteman group drew national attention earlier this year for its volunteer patrols of the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. It is planning similar patrols in Texas this fall, and Simcox said the resignation would not change those plans.

Parmley, who lives in the tiny Goliad County town of Sarco, accused members of working to undermine DeLaGarza because he is Hispanic. He also said the group was holding secret meetings without him in violation of the bylaws.

Click here to read the entire article from The Houston Chronicle

Turdblossom Has A Girlfriend?

I had no idea Karl Rove was the Mack Daddy. If you had asked me who in the Bush Administration would most likely be getting some action on the side, I figured it would be Donald Rumsfeld. But Karl Rove?

Not only does Karl have a wife willing to put up with his shit, but a mistress on the side as well? I'm impressed.

A Fork In The Rove?

As a string of foes from John McCain to Richard Clarke can attest, Karl Rove has never been shy about using personal attacks for political gain. But as the Valerie Plame scandal rages on, the Bush administration’s in-house bulldog may be forced to endure a taste of his own medicine.

Last Sunday, in a blistering column in the New York Times, Frank Rich charged that around the time the White House was leaking Plame’s undercover CIA status to friendly reporters, Rove’s office was publicly “outing” Jeffrey Kofman after the gay ABC correspondent reported on the flagging morale of American troops in Iraq. Rich angrily charged the Republican rumor-monger with fostering a “pervasive culture of revenge” in Washington. Now, in the same spirit, Rove’s critics are forcing the married pol to fend off a politically motivated campaign that focuses on his own personal life.

For years, political insiders in the Lone Star State have whispered about Rove’s close friendship with lobbyist Karen Johnson, a never-married, forty-something GOP loyalist from Austin, Texas. The two first became close when Johnson sat on the board of then-Governor George W. Bush’s Business Council over a decade ago. Their friendship reportedly deepened after Bush appointed Johnson—a little-known spokesperson for the Texas Good Roads Association—to a seat on his Transportation Department transition team in 2000. The plum appointment enabled Johnson’s lobbying firm, Infrastructure Solutions, to snare such high-paying clients as Aetna and the City of Laredo. Sources say Johnson now frequently travels between Washington D.C. and Austin, where she frequently appears at Rove’s side at parties and unofficial functions.

Click here to read the entire article from Radar Online.

Toni Atkins Remains San Diego Mayor

As expected, Democrat Donna Frye won the election but failed to garner the majority of the votes to avoid a runoff election. Per election rules, the second-place candidate, former police chief Jerry Sanders, will oppose her.

And for now, Toni Atkins remains mayor pro term of San Diego.

Frye, Sanders to face each other in mayoral runoff
Councilwoman easily outdistances others, but fails to win election outright
By John Marelius
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

1:02 a.m. July 27, 2005

SAN DIEGO – Councilwoman Donna Frye, the surfboard shop owner who nearly captured the Mayor's Office with an improbable write-in campaign last year, moved a step closer to the prize Tuesday as she easily outdistanced a field of 10 other candidates in the special mayoral election.

But Frye fell short of getting a majority of the votes cast to win outright and will face a Nov. 8 runoff with former Police Chief Jerry Sanders.

Although Sanders' lead over businessman Steve Francis was a modest one, it held steady as the returns piled up, and Francis never gained significant ground on second place.

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

Tuesday's DSM Articles

This is from The Big Brass Alliance...

Good evening, everyone.

Continuing on today’s blogswarm topic, Spoof News Editor JJ notes that the general who was cited in the recent Times article (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1669640,00.html) as having confirmed the secret air war, Gen. T. Michael Moseley, was nominated by Bush on May 16 as chief of staff of the Air Force. JJ wisely suggests that a confirmation hearing would make it difficult to dodge questions about the pre-war air strikes. Let’s start raising the issue now: Moseley, who served as the Combined Forces Air Component Commander for operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom needs to answer questions about his role in the “spikes of activity” that were allegedly designed to provoke Saddam.

See the following stories about Moseley’s nomination:
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123010533
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050602-103607-2343r.htm

Other relevant information tracking “the unofficial war” can be found at Raw Story.

Raw Story: The Unofficial War

Raw Story’s tracking of the unofficial war graphic

Other good stuff:

AfterDowningStreet.org: Downing Street Minutes to Hit House Floor
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/540

Axis of Logic: Why the American Press Remains Paralyzed
http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_18797.shtml

And finally:

PSoTD has kindly offered to track the Congressional roll call for investigating the Downing Street Memo. See the list and find out how to help here: http://www.psotd.com/posts/1119871578.shtml

As always, make sure to email The Heretik at joe.ivory.mattingly@gmail.com with links to your posts, and add your stories to the BBA page!

DSM House Party Update

John Conyers has updated his web site with several links on the Downing Street Memo house parties, including the conference call that took place.

Click here to listen to the conference call and sign up for email updates.

San Diego Mayoral Results

Click here to check out the latest results of the San Diego mayoral election and Proposition A.

Gun Liability Shield Or Defense Bill?

The Republican-led Congress changed their priorities this afternoon. With a $491 billion defense bill on the table, Bill Frist used a technical maneuver to halt debate on it and moved to the gun legislation. As a result, Senate lawmakers made sure gun dealers and manufacturers are shielded from lawsuits before our troops have the funding necessary for the Iraq Invasion.

With two days left in this session, the Senate may not have enough time to debate and vote on both bills before they leave for a monthlong vacation.

It's just another way the Bush Administration supports our corporations before our troops.

Senate Republicans move to shield gun makers, dealers from lawsuits
By Laurie Kellman
ASSOCIATED PRESS

7:52 p.m. July 26, 2005

WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans on Tuesday moved the National Rifle Association's top priority ahead of a $491 billion defense bill, setting up a vote on legislation to shield firearms manufacturers and dealers from lawsuits over gun crimes.

Completion of the defense bill, which the Senate had been debating for a week, will now be delayed until fall. Democrats were incensed.

"What's happening on this gun liability bill is really despicable," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. "To put that ahead of the defense bill, I think, is the most distorted priorities I can possibly conceive of."

On a 66-32 test vote, sponsors of the gun bill showed they have more than enough support to prevent opponents from defeating it with a filibuster.

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

Duke Caught Scratching Financier's Back

Randy "Duke" Cunningham's legal problems continue to mount. In today's edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune, it was reported that Duke interceded on behalf of the financier of his house and condo when he was under investigation in a bribery and kickback scheme.

This excerpt from The San Diego Union-Tribune discusses the relationship between New York developer Thomas T. Kontogiannis and Cunningham.

Cunningham interceded with prosecutor on behalf of developer
By Erica Werner
ASSOCIATED PRESS

4:09 p.m. July 26, 2005

WASHINGTON – Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham wrote to prosecutors on behalf of a New York developer who later bought his boat and helped finance his house and condo.

The developer, Thomas T. Kontogiannis, was under investigation in a bribery and kickback scheme involving school computer contracts when Cunningham, R-Calif., wrote to the Queens, N.Y., district attorney on Oct. 19, 2000.

In his letter, faxed on congressional stationery to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Cunningham suggested that Kontogiannis might be the victim of a political agenda against a school official also under investigation. The letter was not responded to or acted on, Brown spokeswoman Nicole Navas said.

"It has come to my attention that a case has been filed against Tom Kontogiannis in New York's 29th school district. It has been alleged that there may be a political agenda being waged against former Superintendent Celestine Miller by a company allegedly not capable of completing a contract, and therefore Mr. Kontogiannis is being allegedly victimized," Cunningham wrote.

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

Who Kicked My Shin?

Now that a week has passed since the first patrols in Campo, now we're hearing the first stories of confrontations between the Minutemen and protesters. An aide to State Senator Bill Murrow (R-CA) was allegedly kicked in the shin by a UC-Riverside professor who was among the protesters.

The following is an excerpt from an article in today's edition of The North County Times.

Allegations fly in California Minuteman Project

By: ERIN SCHULTZ - Staff Writer

An aide to state Sen. Bill Morrow, R-Carlsbad, has filed a police report saying he was kicked in the shin by a UC Riverside professor and protester more than a week ago while visiting the border in support of the California Minuteman Project.

The alleged confrontation is one of several reports of trouble in Campo, the tiny southeast San Diego County border town where a group of about 30 anti-illegal-immigration activists calling themselves the California Minuteman Project has set up camp to watch the U.S.-Mexico border and report illegal crossers to the Border Patrol.

A group of about a dozen protesters who want the Minutemen to pack it up and go home have also been camping in the town, with larger groups forming for weekend rallies.

Reports of scuffles between the Minutemen and the protesters, such as the one the Morrow aide has alleged, have been surfacing in recent days.

The aide, Mark Belgen, who works in Morrow's Carlsbad office, reported to San Diego County Sheriff's deputies late last week that he was kicked on July 16 by a protester whom he later identified as UC Riverside ethnic studies professor Armando Navarro, who heads an immigrant rights group called the National Alliance for Human Rights.

Click here to read the entire article from The North County Times

Selective Amnesia

So Judge Roberts doesn't remember being a member of the Federalist Society? The reporters at The Washington Times dug up some information and discovered his name listed in the 1997-98 leadership directory.

It's the failure to disclose things like this that make it necessary for the White House to deliver all requested documents on this judge before his nomination comes to a vote.

Roberts Listed in Federalist Society '97-98 Directory
Court Nominee Said He Has No Memory of Membership

By Charles Lane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 25, 2005; Page A01

Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. has repeatedly said that he has no memory of belonging to the Federalist Society, but his name appears in the influential, conservative legal organization's 1997-1998 leadership directory.

Having served only two years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit after a long career as a government and private-sector lawyer, Roberts has not amassed much of a public paper record that would show his judicial philosophy. Working with the Federalist Society would provide some clue of his sympathies. The organization keeps its membership rolls secret, but many key policymakers in the Bush administration are acknowledged current or former members.

Roberts has burnished his legal image carefully. When news organizations have reported his membership in the society, he or others speaking on his behalf have sought corrections. Last week, the White House told news organizations that had reported his membership in the group that he had no memory of belonging. The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and the Associated Press printed corrections.

Click here to read the entire article from The Washington Post.

Tuesday's DSM Senate Targets

TARGETS FOR TUESDAY, JULY 26, 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 Carl Levin, Michigan
webmail: http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
email: senator@levin.senate.gov
269 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2202
phone: 202-224-6221
fax: 202-224-1388
Chief of Staff: David Lyles
email: david_lyles@levin.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

My Op/Ed on Rick Santorum

The following is an Op/Ed that I submitted to Radio News America this morning. I also recorded an audio segment for an upcoming Unfiltered News Network broadcast based on this.

It Takes An Out Of Touch Senator…
Original Op/Ed by Robbie Michaels
July 26, 2005

I nearly spat my morning cappuccino all over myself when I tuned into NBC Today and caught the segment where Katie Couric interviewed Republican Senator Rick Santorum on his new book “It Takes A Family”. Isn’t he the same person who blamed the Catholic Church sex scandal, in part, on liberalism? Didn’t he freak out an interviewer with the Associated Press two years ago by telling them that the definition of marriage did not include homosexuality, man on child, or man on dog?

What would homophobic Rick Santorum know about family values?

Apparently, Santorum’s view of family values does not include the role of today’s women, many of whom juggle a career and motherhood in their busy lives.

Santorum stated in his book, "Many women have told me, and surveys have shown, that they find it easier, more 'professionally' gratifying, and certainly more socially affirming, to work outside the home rather than give up their careers to take care of their children."

Santorum described that view as an unfortunate consequence of "radical feminism."

I disagree with Santorum on this issue. Women do not voluntarily give up child rearing for a career based on radical feminism. If Rick Santorum knew firsthand the economic conditions women face, then he would understand that it takes two incomes to support a family, and women out of necessity choose a career in order to provide for their children.

If Santorum has a problem with women conforming to the archaic husband and wife roles of our parents and grandparents, then maybe he should work on legislation that would help create better economic conditions. That way, the husband or significant other would have a higher-paying job, and a woman could choose whether or not to have a career and still be able to raise her children. Otherwise, economic conditions will continue to make that decision for them and future generations.

I didn’t bother reading Santorum’s book because he still views the family unit as the one we saw on television during the 1950’s. Not every family has a white picket fence in their front yard. Mom no longer cleans and cooks all day long while Dad supports the family on one income. Like The Donna Reed Show, the days of the happy homemaker are long gone.

If I were the editor, I would have at least have made the book more realistic and interesting. Just imagine how much better this book could have been if some of Santorum’s Republican contemporaries contributed to the manuscript.

Former Republican Senate candidate Jack Ryan could have written a chapter on the use of sex clubs to spice up your marriage. Rush Limbaugh could have written a chapter on the use of prescription drugs. Jeb Bush could have written a chapter on the meaning of “Till Death Do Us Part”. Bill Frist could have written a chapter on the care of kittens. President Bush could have contributed a chapter on the safe use of recreational drugs. John McCain could have written a chapter on standing up for your values. Randy “Duke” Cunningham could have written a chapter on real estate sales tips. Dick Murphy could have written a chapter on funding your retirement.

The possibilities are endless, and those are family values Rick Santorum’s target audience can easily identify with.

White House Warns Dems On Roberts Papers

The White House on Monday warned Democrats not to make extensive requests for Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' legal writings in previous Republican administrations, saying many such documents are "out of bounds."

Got something incriminating you need to hide from the public, George?

The following is an excerpt from an article that appeared yesterday on Yahoo! News.

White House Warns Dems on Roberts Papers

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
Mon Jul 25, 7:55 PM ET

WASHINGTON - The White House on Monday warned Democrats not to make extensive requests for Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' legal writings in previous Republican administrations, saying many such documents are "out of bounds."

Separately, the Supreme Court nominee waved off questions about whether he was a member of a conservative legal organization. Roberts, on his fourth day paying courtesy calls on senators, hasn't answered questions since
President Bush announced him — as is typical for nominees — and one Democratic senator said the matter wouldn't affect the confirmation.

With Bush's first chance to shape the Supreme Court at stake, the White House is hoping to avoid the kind of showdown with Democrats over document requests that has stymied Senate confirmation of some of the president's other high-profile nominees. Asked repeatedly to say whether the administration was open to making Roberts' writings as a former administration lawyer available, White House press secretary Scott McClellan avoided saying "no" outright.

"We want to work with the members of the Senate to make sure that they have the appropriate information so that they can do their job," McClellan said.

Click here to read the entire article from Yahoo! News.

Xenophobic Truth Proven False

For those who believed immigrants put a strain on our health care system, a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health indicates that it is only a myth perpetrated by xenophobes looking for an excuse to keep immigrants out of the country.

The following is an exerpt from a news article that appeared on Yahoo! News yesterday.

Immigrants do not overwhelm healthcare - study

Mon Jul 25, 5:17 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Immigrants are not swamping the U.S. health care system and use it far less than native-born Americans, according to a study released on Monday.

The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, found that immigrants accounted for 10.4 percent of the U.S. population but only 7.9 percent of total health spending and 8 percent of government health spending.

Health spending by the government, insurers and patients themselves averaged $1,139 per immigrant compared to $2,564 for non-immigrants. Thirty percent of immigrants used no health care at all in the course of the year.

Immigrant children spent or cost $270 that year, compared to $1,059 for native-born children.

"Our study lays to rest the myth that expensive care for immigrants is responsible for our nation's high health costs. The truth is, immigrants get far less care than other Americans," Dr. Sarita Mohanty, who led the study while she was at Harvard University and who is now at the University of Southern California, said in a statement.

Click here to read the entire article from Yahoo! News.

Latest Podcast Available For Download

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

• San Diego’s Latest Interim Mayor
• Mainstream Media Stupidity – MSNBC Style
• Discovery Channel’s Upcoming 9/11 Documentary
• The 411 On John Roberts.
• Call To Action: Stop The Nomination of Judge John Roberts
• Mike Malloy’s Monday night show
• The Karl Rove Scandal
• Landstuhl Hits Infamous Milestone
• Ann Coulter Accused of Plagiarism
• Mr. Raider Retires To Fuel His Passion
• FreeperFest at Radio News America
• California’s redistricting plan
• Raising the age limits for armed forces recruits
• The GOP Candidate Who Wants To Impeach George Bush
• Cheney Lobbying Against Anti-Torture Legislation
• “Calling Out Steve & The Freepers” – my latest Op/Ed for Radio News America
• This week’s Wingnut of the Week
  

This podcast also features Creative Commons-licensed music from Robert Spriggs, David Henderson, Megaphone, The Fall Guys, Bumrush, and The Bullets.

Click here to listen to this podcast.

Click here to subscribe to my site feed.

Click here to download the latest iPodder software.

Monday's DSM Senate Targets

TARGETS FOR MONDAY, JULY 25, 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 Barbara Mikulski, Maryland
webmail: http://mikulski.senate.gov/contactme/mailform.html
503 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
phone: 202-224-4654
fax: 202-224-8858
Chief of Staff: Julia Frifield
email: julia_frifield@mikulski.senate.gov

Senator Harry Reid, Nevada
webmail: http://reid.senate.gov/email_form.cfm
528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3542
fax: 202-224-7327
Chief of Staff: Susan McCue
email: susan_mccue@reid.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

RobbDogg's Wingnut Of The Week

I’m naming Arnold Schwarzenegger as my Wingnut of the Week, and what a week it was for The Gropinator.

Within the past few days, Arnold’s redistricting initiative was removed from the special election ballot, his administration used a Superior Court injunction to avert a one-day UC nurses strike, and left his $5 million-plus job as editor and publisher of two magazines chock full of dietary ads after it was noted that Arnold vetoed legislation to ban dietary supplements.

Arnold, not only are you a pig but you’re a hypocrite. You don’t know a damn thing about politics and you have no business running the Golden State. As you’ve figured out by now, it takes more than machismo to be the leader California needs.

The sheeple bought into your phony promises to clean up our state, and so far we haven’t seen any tangible results. The only thing we’ve seen is the polarization of the Democratic Party, whom you call “girlie men”, and your stance against teachers and nurses across the state.

Next year, your constituents will liberate California and elect a real leader who will solve this state’s problems.

I guarantee it!