Global
AUSTIN, Texas -- With so many delights on our political plate, it's hard to know where to begin. Take that knee-slapping joke by Education Secretary Rod Paige: He called our largest teachers' union "a terrorist organization." In fun, of course. Gosh darn, HEE-HAW! All over the nation, teachers are just chuckling away.
Paige is upset with the National Education Association because it is lobbying in Washington to give states more flexibility and more money in meeting the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. If that makes the NEA a terrorist organization, what does it make the Utah legislature, where its House of Representatives voted 64 to 8 not to comply with any provisions of the law not fully financed by the federal government? And how are we to categorize the Virginia House of Delegates, which voted 98 to 1 to ask Congress to exempt Virginia from the law?
Paige is upset with the National Education Association because it is lobbying in Washington to give states more flexibility and more money in meeting the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. If that makes the NEA a terrorist organization, what does it make the Utah legislature, where its House of Representatives voted 64 to 8 not to comply with any provisions of the law not fully financed by the federal government? And how are we to categorize the Virginia House of Delegates, which voted 98 to 1 to ask Congress to exempt Virginia from the law?
The Governor of Ohio, Bob Taft, and other prominent state officials, commute to their downtown Columbus offices on Broad Street. This is the so-called “Golden Finger,” the safe route through the majority black inner-city near east side. The Broad Street BP station, just east of downtown, is the place where affluent suburbanites from Bexley can stop, gas up, get their coffee and New York Times. Those in need of cash visit BP’s Diebold manufactured CashSource+ ATM machine which provides a paper receipt of the transaction to all customers upon request.
Many of Taft’s and President George W. Bush’s major donors, like Diebold’s current CEO Walden “Wally” O’Dell, reside in Columbus’ northwest suburb Upper Arlington. O’Dell is on record stating that he is “committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the President” this year. On September 26, 2003, he hosted an Ohio Republican Party fundraiser for Bush’s re-election at his Cotswold Manor mansion. Tickets to the fundraiser cost $1000 per couple, but O’Dell’s fundraising letter urged those attending to “Donate or raise $10,000 for the Ohio Republican Party.”
Many of Taft’s and President George W. Bush’s major donors, like Diebold’s current CEO Walden “Wally” O’Dell, reside in Columbus’ northwest suburb Upper Arlington. O’Dell is on record stating that he is “committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the President” this year. On September 26, 2003, he hosted an Ohio Republican Party fundraiser for Bush’s re-election at his Cotswold Manor mansion. Tickets to the fundraiser cost $1000 per couple, but O’Dell’s fundraising letter urged those attending to “Donate or raise $10,000 for the Ohio Republican Party.”
As usual, Wasserman is wrong, wrong, wrong. George W. Bush is not the worst
president ever. He is one of the best presidents. Wake up and smell the bong
water.
We have just completed a year of defensive war pitting America and the
civilized world against Islamist fascist terrorists. While the war
officially began on September 11th, 2001 it has been raging as a slow
bloodletting for at least thirty years. During this time the leaders and
people of the American Republic have been tolerant and hoped that those
misguided by evil interpretations of Islam would evolve to become
contributing members of society.
Unfortunately, the mad feudal Islamist barbarians have not reformed. As a result, they unleashed the hell of September 11th. They are now reaping what they have sown - utter devastation. The United States will stop at nothing to defend liberty and the military operation in Iraq during 2003 is but a taste of what awaits all Islamist savages - if America stays the course with clear moral vision and strong leadership.
Unfortunately, the mad feudal Islamist barbarians have not reformed. As a result, they unleashed the hell of September 11th. They are now reaping what they have sown - utter devastation. The United States will stop at nothing to defend liberty and the military operation in Iraq during 2003 is but a taste of what awaits all Islamist savages - if America stays the course with clear moral vision and strong leadership.
"It's my right to run."
This is Ralph Nader's core case in announcing his 2004 presidential candidacy. Yes, Nader has a legal right to do this. He also has a legal right to donate $100,000 to the Republican Party and become a Bush Pioneer. That doesn't make it a good idea.
So much of Nader's career has been built on reminding us of our common ties. It's not ok, he's argued, for companies to make unsafe cars, pollute our air, or pillage shared resources. Actions have consequences, he's pointed out with persistence and eloquence.
This is Ralph Nader's core case in announcing his 2004 presidential candidacy. Yes, Nader has a legal right to do this. He also has a legal right to donate $100,000 to the Republican Party and become a Bush Pioneer. That doesn't make it a good idea.
So much of Nader's career has been built on reminding us of our common ties. It's not ok, he's argued, for companies to make unsafe cars, pollute our air, or pillage shared resources. Actions have consequences, he's pointed out with persistence and eloquence.
This is the worst piece of garbage I have seen yet about Pres. Bush.
Mr. Wasserman,
Nice piece: www.truthout.org/docs_04/021904I.shtml.
Though friends roll their eyes, I've never doubted for a moment in the
past 2.5 yrs that GW Bush will be known as *the* Dot-Com President of the
nation.
As things start to get more interesting, just remember:
ALL warfare is psychological warfare...There is no other kind.
Denials of this assertion are exposed as debate about tactics.
Regards,
Paul
Chicago
COLUMBUS — On the second anniversary of the execution of John Byrd by the State of Ohio, the Byrd family's civil attorney advised the Ohio attorney general's office that a previously threatened wrongful death suit would not be filed against the state.
"The family's interest is in getting the truth out, not in getting monetary compensation for their loss. Investigative journalism and media coverage are better ways for getting at the truth than more litigation would be," said Columbus attorney Cliff Arnebeck. "Exclusively focusing on getting to the truth will best serve the purposes of both proving John's innocence and correcting flaws in the criminal justice system. This is far more important to the family and to our society than fault-finding for the purpose of obtaining monetary compensation."
"Byrd's mother, Mary Ray, and sister, Kim Hamer, will be working with investigative journalists in this mission," Arnebeck said.
"The family's interest is in getting the truth out, not in getting monetary compensation for their loss. Investigative journalism and media coverage are better ways for getting at the truth than more litigation would be," said Columbus attorney Cliff Arnebeck. "Exclusively focusing on getting to the truth will best serve the purposes of both proving John's innocence and correcting flaws in the criminal justice system. This is far more important to the family and to our society than fault-finding for the purpose of obtaining monetary compensation."
"Byrd's mother, Mary Ray, and sister, Kim Hamer, will be working with investigative journalists in this mission," Arnebeck said.
It has occurred to me that President George W. Bush would be a shoo-in to play any of the main characters in The Wizard of Oz. I am sure the part of Scarecrow (If I only had a brain) has already popped into the minds of everyone reading this. But a lack, at the very least, of mental preparedness and rigor is not the only characteristic qualifying the President for a leading role in this children's classic. How about auditioning for Tin Man, who had no heart? The total and callous disregard of the President for anyone not falling into the top one percent of this country's earners, not to mention his complete lack of compassion for those who are not working at all, certainly qualifies Bush for this important, pivotal and mechanical role. And last but certainly not least, the revelation that this President also cowered behind (maybe; there is no definitive proof that he even fulfilled his National Guard requirements and did this much) a pile of paperwork in Alabama rather than upgrade his air skills and join his comrades in the war in Vietnam, tells me that the part of the Cowardly Lion is his for the asking as well.
The saga of Howard Dean is a cautionary tale about politics and the
Internet. His campaign rode a big wave of cyberspace hype -- and then
sank.
There are valid complaints to be made about Dean’s rough handling by major news outlets this winter. Sometimes the coverage was unfair. But what gained him media prominence in the first place was journalistic infatuation with his campaign’s successful use of the Internet for outreach and fund-raising.
Actually, Dean burst onto the nation’s front pages because of money. As far as political journalists were concerned, Dean came into his own as a presidential contender midway through 2003. In the second quarter of the year, he raised $7.5 million -- including $800,000 on a single dramatic day.
In sync with the aphorism that money is the mother’s milk of politics, the former Vermont governor seemed to have found a cash cow on the Internet. The ability to raise large sums from many online devotees caused the political press corps to sit up and take notice.
There are valid complaints to be made about Dean’s rough handling by major news outlets this winter. Sometimes the coverage was unfair. But what gained him media prominence in the first place was journalistic infatuation with his campaign’s successful use of the Internet for outreach and fund-raising.
Actually, Dean burst onto the nation’s front pages because of money. As far as political journalists were concerned, Dean came into his own as a presidential contender midway through 2003. In the second quarter of the year, he raised $7.5 million -- including $800,000 on a single dramatic day.
In sync with the aphorism that money is the mother’s milk of politics, the former Vermont governor seemed to have found a cash cow on the Internet. The ability to raise large sums from many online devotees caused the political press corps to sit up and take notice.