Megalo-Maniacal Melons

http://mattbors.com

It's time Democrats aggressively play the terrorism card

We all remember how the 2004 election was won by Repuglicans because they made the war on terror the central front in their war on Democrats. To be sure, the Iraq war and the economy were reasons enough to get them soundly kicked to the curb, but they shamelessly exploited 9/11, continued their lie about Iraq and, despite John Kerry's five Vietnam medals, successfully branded Democrats as the party of limp-wristed, weak-kneed, Birkenstock-wearing pansies who cannot protect America. Their mantra? Be afraid people, be very afraid. And it worked. Over 62-million voters--more than any in election history--sent the great macho warriors Bush & Cheney, Mr. Awol & Mr. Deferment, back to the White House to valiantly battle evil for another four years.

Stop Blackwell from supervising his own election!

Join the movement for free and fair elections in Ohio! Stop Secretary of State Ken Blackwell from supervising his own election. We know what happened when he worked as the co-chair for Bush and Cheney in 2004. Lines at the polls in the inner cities, purging voters, suppressing the vote with provisional ballots, suspicious vote counts in Republican counties... Here's your chance to sign a petition to put a halt to the corruption of Blackwell and stealing of elections in Ohio. Go to this website Stop Blackwell petition

Carol Fisher released from jail

After spending 5 weeks in jail, Carol Fisher was released from jail this afternoon.  Carol is an activist with "The World Can't Wait- Drive Out the Bush Regime" in Cleveland OH.  Her arrest, trial, and conviction began when she put up a couple "Bush Step Down" posters on telephone poles in Cleveland Heights on January 29, 2006.

Two separate court orders were issued releasing her from the Cuyahoga County Jail, cutting short her original 2-month sentence.  On July 6, the court of appeals finally granted her an appeal bond, letting her out of jail while her trial and conviction are reviewed by a higher court.  And today, the original trial judge, Timothy McGinty, released her on time served, indicating that she had spent enough time in jail.  But she is still under court order to take an "anger management class" and do two years probation with community service.

The Democrats must now say "We Do Not Concede" in the U.S. as it's being said in Mexico

Lopez Obrador is saying in Mexico what the Democratic Party should have been saying in the United States since November 2000: WE DO NOT CONCEDE. And no Democrat should ever again be nominated for any public office without first pledging to guarantee a full and thorough recount, as is being attempted in Mexico.

We do not yet know the final official outcome of the Mexican presidential election. We do know the vote casting and counting have been plagued with some of the same kinds of intimidation, theft, fraud and electronic manipulation that have become the staples of Rove-run elections here in the United States.

The Mexican outcome is hugely important for a wide range of reasons. The Mexican presidency in the hands of a leftist like Lopez Obrador would have a major effect on the immigration issue currently being used by the Bush/Rove Republicans to whip up racist division and diversion. A leftist victory would also underscore the sea change in Latin American politics being led by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and other populists rising from the southern grassroots.

Class action for wounded Iraq war veterans and family members

NOTICE!!! Wounded Veterans and family members of Veterans who were killed as a result of injuries sustained in the Iraq War –

1. If you disagree with the Iraq War, and
2. If you believe that the Iraq War was illegal, and
3. If you believe that you or a beloved family member was placed in harms way without legal or just cause and
4. This deployment was the actual cause of your loved one’s death or of your injuries as a survivor,

JOIN CLASS ACTION SIGN UP

CASU Is registering injured Veterans and Family members of deceased Veterans for a Class Action Lawsuit against the President, Vice President and other members of their Administration for the Wrongful Death, Injuries, and Deprivation of Civil Rights related to the deaths and injuries of the deceased or injured Veterans.

To sign up as a Class Member, email: classaction99@nowaybush.info or visit www.nowaybush.info and click on link for “Class Action Sign-Up”

Joe Lieberman's loyalties

This isn't the first time Joe Lieberman's placed loyalty to his career above all other allegiances. Afraid that Connecticut's Democratic voters will reject him in the primary, he's now hedging his bets by planning to run as an independent if he loses. "I have loyalties that are greater than those to my party," he says, and tries to make this sound noble.

Lieberman made a similar choice in the 2000 election. He hedged his bets then as well, by running for reelection as Connecticut Senator while also running for Vice President. It sent a great message of confidence for the ticket he was part of, but worse yet, had Gore won (as he would have without the Florida machinations), Lieberman would have had to resign his Senate seat, and be replaced by a Republican appointed by Republican Governor John Rowland. Given that the Senate ended up split 50/50 (until Senator Jeffords left the Republican party), this would have brought about a major political loss. But none of that mattered to Joe. His prime loyalty has always been to himself, from the first time he took money from William F. Buckley to run against moderate Republican Lowell Weickert.

Bob Fitrakis article on Mexico's elections

As a Latin Americanist who has spent not only a lot of time in the region, but lived in Mexico for most of the 90s, I find it interesting that you seek to compare the 2004 US election with Lopez Obrador’s pathetic populist-hero drama.  It would benefit your readership tremendously to explain this in light of the PRD’s tactics that included – preventing the election authorities from carrying out their legitimate tallying activities in pro-PAN states in an effort to delay the arrival of PAN votes in Mexico City; Lopez Obrador’s overt threats to call mass demonstrations if he was not declared the winner; and perhaps most importantly, the rampant corruption of his administration during his Mexico City mayorship last term.  Lopez Obrador is about as manipulative as they get in Latin American populism.

Give the Mexicans a break Bob. Their election has about as much to do with you or the 2004 elections or Chavez as you do with reality.

James T Anderson
Mexico Home Capital Holdings, L.P.

Command rape

Suzanne Swift's story begins in an all-too-familiar way. A dead-end job, a friendly military recruiter, a promise that signing-up as military police would mean no deployment to Iraq, a broken promise, and a trip to war. Then it takes a less commonly heard of turn, one involving a practice known as "command rape." Suzanne is back in the U.S. and is refusing to return to Iraq. Until a couple of days ago she was confined by the military and threatened with prosecution. The three superiors whom she has accused of various forms of harassment or assault have not yet been charged. Suzanne's mother, Sara Rich, spoke with me about her daughter's ordeal and recorded this 20-minute conversation.

Transcribed by Sandy Smedley:

This is David Swanson, speaking with Sara Rich, the mother of Suzanne Swift:

DAVID: Ms. Rich, how old is your daughter?

SARA: Suzanne is almost 22.

DAVID: Almost 22; and what is her background in the military? How did she get into the service and how long ago was that?

Project Vote, voting rights organizations, file to overturn restrictive voter registration rules

A group of civic organizations filed a lawsuit today seeking to overturn restrictions on voter registration in the state of Ohio. The requirements laid out by the state drastically limit the ability of civic groups to register new voters and threaten individual registration workers with felony charges for minor mistakes handling forms. The rules will limit voter registration, unnecessarily exclude eligible voters from the election process, and suppress the vote in Ohio.

The complaint filed today in United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, raises several concerns with House Bill 3 and the rules and procedures set forth by the Secretary of State, including:

• In the past, citizens working to register voters were able to turn in the completed forms to a civic group or church that would review the forms for accuracy, turn them into the registrar, and follow up later to make sure the voter was actually registered. Now, workers collecting voter registration forms would be forbidden from doing that and would be subject to felony charges if the forms were to be handed in late or not directly to registrars' offices.

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