Duty to Warn
The sister of the Rove IT guru whose small plane crashed shortly after he became "exhibit A" in a 2004 Ohio vote-rigging lawsuit has now voiced doubts that the crash was an accident. She told a Wisconsin newspaper:
"At first, it was really hard for me to believe Mike was dead because somebody wanted him dead. But as time goes on, it's hard for me not to believe there was something deliberate about it."
Mike Connell was to be a star witness in an Ohio 2004 election lawsuit which alleges that the election was stolen from John Kerry. Audio here of an interview on Air America with Steven Spoonamore, the Republican IT expert who blew the whistle on Rove, Connell, and others. Connell was hired as one of Rove's IT wizards after the Republicans took power in 2000.
On May 5, eight health care advocates, including myself and two other physicians, stood up to Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and the Senate Finance Committee during a "public roundtable discussion" with a simple question: Will you allow an advocate for a single-payer national health plan to have a seat at the table?
The answer was a loud, "Get more police!" And we were arrested and hauled off to jail.
The fact that a national health insurance program is supported by the majority of the public, doctors and nurses apparently means nothing to Sen. Baucus. The fact that thousands of people in America are dying every year because they can't get health care means nothing. The fact that over 1 million Americans go into bankruptcy every year due to medical debt - even though most of them had insurance when they got sick - means nothing.
The answer was a loud, "Get more police!" And we were arrested and hauled off to jail.
The fact that a national health insurance program is supported by the majority of the public, doctors and nurses apparently means nothing to Sen. Baucus. The fact that thousands of people in America are dying every year because they can't get health care means nothing. The fact that over 1 million Americans go into bankruptcy every year due to medical debt - even though most of them had insurance when they got sick - means nothing.
Welcome back, Dr. Flowers. In the first installment of our interview, you spoke about how you and the rest of the Baucus 8 were arrested and why single payer should be on the table while other health care alternatives are discussed.
Prior to the Senate roundtable, constituents made thousands of calls and sent emails or faxes and that didn't accomplish anything. What do you think will be effective?
It will take more direct action - meet with legislators and urge them to sign on to HR 676 or S 703, collect petition signatures and present those to your legislators with the request that they co-sponsor the legislation. If that doesn't work, then have direct actions in front of their offices, get letters in the local paper, hold health care town halls (May 30th is a National Day of Action for Single Payer - www.healthcare-now.org), knock on doors in your community and get people to sign petitions. Be creative. It will take direct pressure to have an effect. And I hope that people will come to Washington when we have rallies and marches. The next event is a march and rally on May 13th.
Prior to the Senate roundtable, constituents made thousands of calls and sent emails or faxes and that didn't accomplish anything. What do you think will be effective?
It will take more direct action - meet with legislators and urge them to sign on to HR 676 or S 703, collect petition signatures and present those to your legislators with the request that they co-sponsor the legislation. If that doesn't work, then have direct actions in front of their offices, get letters in the local paper, hold health care town halls (May 30th is a National Day of Action for Single Payer - www.healthcare-now.org), knock on doors in your community and get people to sign petitions. Be creative. It will take direct pressure to have an effect. And I hope that people will come to Washington when we have rallies and marches. The next event is a march and rally on May 13th.
Where is the justice in THIS?
You rent an apartment or a house. You pay your rent on time every month. The next thing you know, there is a bailiff or a sheriff's deputy at your door serving you an eviction notice and threatening to toss you out - and toss all your worldly belongings on the street.
What's worse, it's absolutely legal.
That's what's happening all across the United States when a landlord defaults on his loan and the mortgage company moves in to reclaim the property. The unsuspecting renter, who has done absolutely nothing wrong, who has paid his rent to the landlord, is the one who suffers.
In New York state, where Deutsche Bank is the worst offender, a state assemblyman is moving to change the law to give renters who face eviction a 90 day grace period. State Sen. Jeff Klein's bill is a good one, but it doesn't go far enough.
The law must be fundamentally changed to give renters legal rights. After all, they are legally obligated to pay the landlord, not the mortgage company. And if they fulfill that legal obligation, they should be permitted to stay in the property.
You rent an apartment or a house. You pay your rent on time every month. The next thing you know, there is a bailiff or a sheriff's deputy at your door serving you an eviction notice and threatening to toss you out - and toss all your worldly belongings on the street.
What's worse, it's absolutely legal.
That's what's happening all across the United States when a landlord defaults on his loan and the mortgage company moves in to reclaim the property. The unsuspecting renter, who has done absolutely nothing wrong, who has paid his rent to the landlord, is the one who suffers.
In New York state, where Deutsche Bank is the worst offender, a state assemblyman is moving to change the law to give renters who face eviction a 90 day grace period. State Sen. Jeff Klein's bill is a good one, but it doesn't go far enough.
The law must be fundamentally changed to give renters legal rights. After all, they are legally obligated to pay the landlord, not the mortgage company. And if they fulfill that legal obligation, they should be permitted to stay in the property.
Yesterday morning, eight doctors, lawyers and other activists stood up for single payer health care. We stood up during a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. The hearing was only to hear from the insurance industry, pharmaceutical companies, HMO’s and business interests. They did not want to hear about a real national health care plan.
I was one of the eight.
We stood up to the private health insurance industry, to the corporate power in Congress and demanded a single payer national health care plan where everybody is in and nobody is out. We want a plan that ensures the peoples right to choose their own doctor, hospital and health care treatment. We want a plan that will control costs – something that cannot be done unless the insurance industry, HMO’s and pharmaceutical companies are challenged.
The Senate Finance Committee which has taken millions from the insurance industry, HMO’s, pharmaceutical industry – those that profit from health care in America only scheduled their donors to speak. It was pay to play on display in Washington, DC before the corrupt Senate Finance Committee.
I was one of the eight.
We stood up to the private health insurance industry, to the corporate power in Congress and demanded a single payer national health care plan where everybody is in and nobody is out. We want a plan that ensures the peoples right to choose their own doctor, hospital and health care treatment. We want a plan that will control costs – something that cannot be done unless the insurance industry, HMO’s and pharmaceutical companies are challenged.
The Senate Finance Committee which has taken millions from the insurance industry, HMO’s, pharmaceutical industry – those that profit from health care in America only scheduled their donors to speak. It was pay to play on display in Washington, DC before the corrupt Senate Finance Committee.
President Obama’s 2009 supplemental spending request to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is currently before Congress. The House Appropriations Committee will “mark up” (finalize its version) of a war funding bill at a committee hearing on May 7th. The full House will likely vote on the bill the following week. The objective is to have the bill finalized and to Obama for signature by Memorial Day.
President Obama is seeking an additional $75.8 billion in war funds for this fiscal year. It is possible that Congress will add to this amount before final passage. If Congress enacts Obama’s request, total war spending will come to $144.6 billion for Fiscal Year 2009 (which ends on September 30, with Fiscal Year 2010 beginning on October 1). This compares to the $186 billion war spending in 2008. Obama’s proposed war budget for 2010 is $130 billion.
At first glance, it is easy to conclude that the proposed 22 percent reduction in war spending from 2008 to 2009 represents a significant shift in war strategy and is indicative of a drawing down of the twin wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sadly, such a conclusion would be wrong.
President Obama is seeking an additional $75.8 billion in war funds for this fiscal year. It is possible that Congress will add to this amount before final passage. If Congress enacts Obama’s request, total war spending will come to $144.6 billion for Fiscal Year 2009 (which ends on September 30, with Fiscal Year 2010 beginning on October 1). This compares to the $186 billion war spending in 2008. Obama’s proposed war budget for 2010 is $130 billion.
At first glance, it is easy to conclude that the proposed 22 percent reduction in war spending from 2008 to 2009 represents a significant shift in war strategy and is indicative of a drawing down of the twin wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sadly, such a conclusion would be wrong.
There are no headlines or pontificating pundits, but the real news that has become crystal clear to any but the most delusional and distracted Americans is that President Obama has no commitment to applying the rule of law where it counts. Certainly, not applying it to the large number of rich and powerful people that have violated our Constitution and plunged the nation into economic disaster.
Again and again we hear the flimsy argument from Obama and his top advisors that he wants to look forward and not backward. This is tortured logic when it comes to delivering justice in a nation supposedly cherishing the rule of law.
The fundamental logic of honoring and applying the rule of law fairly to absolutely everyone is that people who have broken the law in the past must be held accountable and placed into the justice system after they have misbehaved. In other words, there is no actionable rule of law other than by looking backward into past misdeeds. So how can rational and intelligent people follow the logic of Obama and still believe that he truly understands and honors the rule of law?
Again and again we hear the flimsy argument from Obama and his top advisors that he wants to look forward and not backward. This is tortured logic when it comes to delivering justice in a nation supposedly cherishing the rule of law.
The fundamental logic of honoring and applying the rule of law fairly to absolutely everyone is that people who have broken the law in the past must be held accountable and placed into the justice system after they have misbehaved. In other words, there is no actionable rule of law other than by looking backward into past misdeeds. So how can rational and intelligent people follow the logic of Obama and still believe that he truly understands and honors the rule of law?
The prosecution of torturers has nothing to do with retribution or
the politicization of policy differences and everything to do with
honoring the sacrifice, in altogether too many cases the ultimate
sacrifice, of our parents and relatives who defeated Nazi Germany in
World War II. Our parents did not serve and sacrifice so Nazi tactics
would be implemented, defended, admired, paid for, and rewarded by the
United States Government.
As confirmed by a recent official unanimous bipartisan Senate report, the torture tactics of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan were brought to America by George W. Bush whose grandfather helped finance Hitler. George W. Bush is the fifth in a line of politicians who have betrayed our country.
First, Nelson Rockefeller, as Assistant Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs during World War II, arranged for the Standard Oil Company, in which he and his family held substantial amounts of stock, to sell oil to the Nazis through South America. This oil fueled the Nazi war machine which killed uniformed American soldiers, sailors, and aviators.
As confirmed by a recent official unanimous bipartisan Senate report, the torture tactics of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan were brought to America by George W. Bush whose grandfather helped finance Hitler. George W. Bush is the fifth in a line of politicians who have betrayed our country.
First, Nelson Rockefeller, as Assistant Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs during World War II, arranged for the Standard Oil Company, in which he and his family held substantial amounts of stock, to sell oil to the Nazis through South America. This oil fueled the Nazi war machine which killed uniformed American soldiers, sailors, and aviators.
Sponsored by the Campus Republicans and a group called Young Life (America?), Karl Rove spoke to a subdued, mixed crowd numbering 200-300 at Denison University's Swasey Chapel.
I did see a vanity plate in the parking garage from New Jersey with that on it, as in YGLFAM or the like.
In a liberal arts college, the house was very civilized. The only outbreak was when a young fellow who had several male family military members involved in several wars asked Karl why we fight for human rights and then deny them for prisoners of war.
Karl spoke on the economy, and about his mistakes in the White House (should have gone for immigration stuff first then the Social Security), with the smirk of Cheney across his lips and nukular (sic) on the tongue. It was apparent he spent a lot of time with these guys. As to the specific content of his speech, it was main stream right, though not very condescending as one might presume. There were applauses from the right on their catch phrases.
I did see a vanity plate in the parking garage from New Jersey with that on it, as in YGLFAM or the like.
In a liberal arts college, the house was very civilized. The only outbreak was when a young fellow who had several male family military members involved in several wars asked Karl why we fight for human rights and then deny them for prisoners of war.
Karl spoke on the economy, and about his mistakes in the White House (should have gone for immigration stuff first then the Social Security), with the smirk of Cheney across his lips and nukular (sic) on the tongue. It was apparent he spent a lot of time with these guys. As to the specific content of his speech, it was main stream right, though not very condescending as one might presume. There were applauses from the right on their catch phrases.